


DEFUNCT

by LadyHachimitsu, TricksterKat



Series: A Little Defunct [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Crack Treated Seriously, Dubious Morality, Gen, Implied/Referenced Sex, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Minor Angst, Multi, Ninja, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Violence, alteration of canon events, endangerment of minors, historical bullshit, screwing with canon timelines, technical bullshit, what-if scenarios
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2018-07-18 01:01:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 102,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7293127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyHachimitsu/pseuds/LadyHachimitsu, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TricksterKat/pseuds/TricksterKat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You never know when an Uzumaki will cause chaos.  [If it can’t be explained, blame an Uzumaki.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note: the years are going as being that Naruto was born in the year 100.

**DEFUNCT**

[dih- **fuhngkt** ]

_ adjective _

1\. no longer in effect or use; not operating or functioning

2\. no longer in existence; dead; extinct

**|**

**Summary:** You never know when an Uzumaki will cause chaos.  _ [Danzou had finally gotten rid of her.] _

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Humor

**Warning (s):** crack level humor taken seriously; what-if scenarios; ninjas; violence/gore; unhealthy coping mechanisms; skewed morality; endangerment of minors; alteration of canon events; minor angst; other things I can’t think of off the top of my head right now

**|**

_ Chapter One _ : The Hyuuga Incident

**|**

**_Year 104 - March 13 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

**|**

**Kita** Hachimitsu, or Hachi, was tired in a bone deep weariness that left her wrung out and hollow. She couldn’t remember ever being this tired even after the Kyuubi attack and she had been stuck at the Hospital for thirty plus hours straight. But then at the time she hadn’t known anyone she  _ knew _ was  _ dead _ (and gone - would never see  _ her  _ again or  _ him  _ and now  _ he _ was gone too and - )

She shook herself just in time to see the gates of Konoha ( _ home _ ) come into view, and Uchiha Shisui (her teammate -  _ only one left now _ ) sighed softly at the sight. Both of them were too tired to speak, had been too tired for  _ days _ now, and  _ hurting _ . Hachimitsu handing over their identification cards to the gate guards stiffly, informing them flatly, “Kita Hachimitsu and Uchiha Shisui reporting back in.”

The guard took the paperwork and cards with a vague acknowledgement of, “Ah, yes.” As he looked over the papers, however, he frowned and looked up at the two, “I believe there is supposed to be  _ three _ of you?”

Hachimitsu couldn’t stop the snarl that tore across her face even if she wanted too. The move showcased the feline fangs that were becoming a trait of her family (and very good at ripping throats out, she had found from actual experience; her twin had been overly fond of using it as a threat), and she knew she shouldn’t be threatening a fellow shinobi. It wasn’t  _ his  _ fault their teammate was  _ dead _ . ( - that she hadn’t been  _ fast _ enough, or  _ strong _ enough, or  _ skilled _ enough, to save him - he was  _ gone _ \-  _ gonegonegonegonegONEGONEGONE _ \- )

(what was she going to tell the little kitten? her- _ his _ - _ their _ little kitten...)

The touch of Shisui’s hand on her arm pulled her from her rapidly spiraling thoughts enough to realize she was growling vocally and  _ not _ just in her head. She cut her audible growl short, but the one in her head continued ominously with the desire to tear the guard a part -  _ make him bleed _ \- for reminding her of what was now  _ lost _ .

The twitchy fingers of the guards indicated her eyes had changed as well; had shifted into the eerie green and gold color with the pupil contracting into cat-like slits. The color had no doubt begun to bleed into the whites to make them appear more animal like than human. Her lip twitched, curling back along her teeth before she forced herself to huff and turn away, dismissing them as much as she could.

Shisui could deal with them. He was better at it any way.

“Unfortunately,” he began with a cold drawl. “We have to report that Mikan Nishiki has been killed in action. We were able to recover the body.” His face had switched unerringly into his Uchiha mask of cold indifference and detachment, and she could never get used to hearing him use the persona of the perfect Uchiha.

“I see,” the second guard said, jotting something down on a piece of paper. “We have a note here stating you are to report directly to the Hokage upon arrival if no immediate medical care is needed.”

The words immediately caught Hachimitsu’s attention and she turned her head sharply to the guard with a narrowed eyed stare. The only time a shinobi was summoned to report directly to the Hokage after a mission was if said mission had been a high risk/priority mission, or something within the village had gone  _ wrong _ . “We will report now, then,” Shisui answered, touching his teammate’s elbow to pull her away, sharing a discreet look with her. Their mission hadn’t been priority, so that meant something had happened.

The guard simply nodded, as he handing their paperwork and identification cards back. Hachimitsu didn’t miss the rather subtle cold glare aimed at her back when they left, and that made her uneasy. There hadn’t been anything she had done to ever earn such a look from a fellow shinobi. So, just what had happened?

Both of them would have had to report to the Hokage about the death of their teammate Nishiki, but since they had been summoned instead, they went to the secretary instead of the mission desk. The two shared another uneasy look when they were told to enter the Hokage’s office within five minutes of their arrival. It didn’t bode well for whatever news the Hokage had to tell them.

The absence of Nishiki was the first thing Sarutobi noted about the team, and he frowned, eyes narrowing as he glanced behind them in hopes that the boy would simply trail in behind late. When the orange haired shinobi failed to appear, he turned his gaze to the other two and asked, “Where is Nishiki-kun?”

There was a long pause, before they answered in unison with dull tones, “KIA.”

Sarutobi closed his eyes, bringing his pipe to his lips to inhale deeply. It didn’t matter how many deaths he had seen and heard about, it never failed to make his heart hurt with grief. The death of one of his own was always personal. He held the breath for several seconds before exhaling slowly and opening his eyes to study the two.

“I would like your report first,” he ordered. The two shared yet another glance, before Shisui launched into their report. Given the length of the mission the two traded off in explanations, only faltering when they came to their teammate’s death when the mission had all gone to hell with the appearance of Iwagakure shinobi.

He eyed them for a moment and then asked, “Are any of the Iwa-nin alive?”

Hachimitsu’s lips pulled back in a feral grin, her eyes flashing, as she purred, “No. They will be lucky if they can even figure what body part goes with what body. Or that they were even from Iwagakure.” The corners of Sarutobi’s eyes tightened at the casual mention of tearing someone apart. To Hachimitsu it was a perfectly normal response, and she would never deny that parts of her thoroughly enjoyed doing it. However, she did tend to forget that it  _ was _ something that unnerved people by how undisturbed her family was about killing people, even for shinobi.

“That’s good,” he finally said after a pause. “Continue.” Shisui finished the report, and then fell silent as the Hokage processed the information. Finally, he said, “Well done on the mission despite complications, and my condolences on Nishiki-kun’s death. He will be greatly missed.”

Hachimitsu bit her lip and then queried worriedly, “Will you be telling Naruto- _ koneko _ ? Or should we-” She stopped abruptly, however, at the sudden hard look that entered the Hokage’s eyes. Her stomach dropped and she instinctively shifted closer to Shisui.

“Naruto-kun will not be informed. In fact, from this point forward neither of you will have contact with him in any way,” the Hokage informed them firmly.

“Ho...kage?” Shisui asked in disbelief, fingers tightening as a frantic worry began to build in his stomach and throat. This couldn’t be happening. Not right after Nishiki’s  _ death _ .

It was telling when Sarutobi wouldn’t quite meet their eyes. The move was subtle and if the two hadn’t been trained to notice those kind of things from even their comrades by Hachimitsu’s twin, they wouldn’t have caught it. “While before you had been helping Nishiki-kun take care of Naruto-kun and I was able to let it slide, it was  _ Nishiki-kun _ who was given caretaker duties, not you two,” he intoned, sounding only slightly rehearsed.

_ Wrong _ .

“He’s mine too!” Hachimitsu snarled, baring her teeth at the Hokage as rage reared its ugly head. “You can’t just take him away from me -  _ us _ !”

“ _ KIta _ !” Sarutobi growled harshly, the use of her last name and the tone of voice cutting through the cloud of building rage that was really hiding the rising panic. It was also a reminder that while  _ old _ , Sarutobi was still the Hokage and much,  _ much _ more powerful than her and her alter ego. She wouldn’t be able to just kill him to keep her  _ kitten _ with her and Shisui.

Panther-chan rumbled unhappily in her mind, especially when Hachimitsu pushed her to the back. It took more effort than normal, and she had to struggle to close her lips over her bared teeth. She didn’t  _ want _ to back down from the fight she wanted to start with the man that was  _ taking something else from her _ .

(her precious people were slowly all disappearing - whywh _ ywhywhywHYWHYWHYWH - _ )

“Hachimitsu,” he started in a gentler tone once she backed down. “You  _ will _ keep away from him. You  _ cannot _ take him. Your family is too well known, established, and on the verge of becoming a legitimate  _ clan _ .”

“But  _ Grandfather _ -” she tried, but knew it would be hopeless.

“Gave up the Uzumaki name when he married your grandmother,” he reminded. “None of you can claim ties to the Uzumaki blood, especially as your grandfather chose to never claim the name after Uzushio fell.” The reminder of her Grandfather’s choice had Hachimitsu biting back a furious growl - and  _ tears _ . The Hokage continued, tone turning grave, “And even if that  _ could _ be a legitimate claim to Naruto-kun, with what has happened recently? It’s for the best you stay away from him.”

Hachimitsu froze, her mind going blank. With what had...happened? Hokage had wanted to see them hadn’t he? With that statement...something must have happened to her family. But  _ what _ ?

Her father was a  _ civilian _ , her mother a mission desk shinobi everyone was terrified of for one reason or another (she never could get the story about the incidents). Her brothers were either happily playing with codes in Intelligence with their cousins, or in the  _ academy _ still.

Which left her twin sister, who was a paper-nin in Intelligence out of sheer laziness, but still took missions outside the village with her team.

Her mind ground to a halt, refusing to believe  _ anything _ could have happened to her  _ twin _ . “ _ Shuukaku _ ?” Shisui asked, correctly figuring that she was the most likely to get caught up in whatever had happened while they had been gone.

“You know of the Hyuuga and Kumo incident?” Sarutobi asked instead, and the two warily nodded. The  _ incident _ had happened right before their mission, and an agreement had been in the works when they had left. How did this relate to  _ Shuukaku _ ? “Some inquiries were raised on how Kumogakure shinobi were able to get far enough into the Hyuuga Compound and successfully kidnap the heiress before being caught. An investigation was ordered and it was discovered that Kita Shuukaku had been selling information to Kumo.”

_ Wrong _ .

Shuukaku selling information to a foreign village wasn’t feasible. Konoha was their  _ home _ . It just wasn’t possible. Shuukaku would never become a traitor.

“ _ What _ ?” Shisui gaped, disbelief evident. “I think I just misheard you, Hokage-sama. It sounded like you just implied that Shuu-chan is a traitor to the village.”

Sarutobi’s answer wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “That is exactly what I implied. She was arrested and questioned about the incident and denied everything.”

Hachimitsu’s brain finally rebooted and she protested violently, “Of course she denied everything! She  _ didn’t do it _ .”

“Evidence proves to the contrary,” the Hokage rebuffed in a gentle tone that she was sure was supposed to be all grandfatherly, but really it just made her want to snarl and rip his throat out. “She was sentenced to be executed, but before the sentence could be carried out she managed to escape. She is now on the run and labeled as a missing-nin with standing orders to kill on sight.”

“ _ She didn’t do it _ !” Hachimitsu howled, gnashing her teeth together furiously. “Your  _ evidence _ is  _ wrong _ ! Check it over again! Someone  _ obviously planted it _ .”

“Hachi!” Shisui hissed, grabbing her arm and pulling her against his side to make her heavily aware of his presence. “Calm down!”

Panther-chan was too close to the surface, she mused idly, but it allowed her to easily switch from  _ fight _ to  _ stalk _ . Everything was  _ wrong _ and maybe if she  _ attacked _ ( _ killed - tore apart - maimed _ ) the old man, everything would go back to being  _ right _ . But  _ stalk _ would make things easier. She could find more information,  _ proof _ that he was  _ wrong _ , and just  _ who _ had done this.

Then, she could kill him.

Her posture went from aggressive to a deceptively relaxed state. Shisui kept his grip tight around her, unwilling to let her go on a highly possible killing spree. “I don’t believe that Shuu-chan did this. She’s been framed,” Hachimitsu informed Sarutobi in a cold voice.

He inclined his head in acknowledgement, once more not actually meeting her eyes, and said instead, “In the wake of these events and Nishiki-kun’s death, both of you have a two week leave.” Without another word, the two left the office, their world officially shattered completely.

It was a testament to his teammate’s state of mind when she simply pulled them into the closest empty room and slapped a security seal on the door, rather than leave the tower. Shisui wasn’t too surprised when Hachimitsu easily broke his grip and twisted instead so she could hug him and bury her face in his neck. He returned the hug easily as she inhaled his scent deeply. The familiarity calmed her down, but it didn’t have enough of her own scent entwined with his.

She pulled back and pressed their cheeks together, rubbing against it enough that her lip pulled back slightly from her teeth and a fang scraped his cheek. He simply let out a long-suffering sigh, and petted her hair. After a several minutes, he murmured, “Feeling better?”

“She wouldn’t do that,” Hachimitsu growled into his neck.

Shisui hummed back, uncaring of the lethal shinobi pressed against his vulnerable jugular. “I know. What are we going to do?” he murmured back, tightening his grip around her waist.

“Get answers,” she replied instantly, a rough tone to her voice that promised potential violence.

“Alright, how?” he soothed, even as he poked her, making her pout and pull away, rubbing her cheek against his one more time, making sure her lip pulled back and her teeth scraped his cheek again, but purposefully leaving a smear of saliva. He gave her a disgusted look, making her wrinkle her nose at him in response.

“You,” she started, poking him in the chest. “Are going back to the Uchiha Clan, since I  _ know _ you have to report back to them. You  _ also _ need to check on the other kittens.” Focus. Focus on something so she couldn’t think of how her world was crumbling around the edges.

“They  _ can _ wait a few more hours if need be,” Shisui countered somewhat petulantly.

Hachimitsu raised an eyebrow at him and informed dryly, “ _ I’m _ going to go talk to Kei-chan.” The Uchiha couldn’t help but make a face at the mention of Shuukaku’s best friend. The teen was utterly terrifying and more than a little crazy, even for a shinobi. She made brutal murders look like a lovely field of flowers.

“Yeah, right, you don’t need me for that,” he agreed easily with an exaggerated shudder. “I always get the feeling she wants to kill me or something.”

Hachimitsu rolled her eyes and pointed out flatly, “She wants to kill everyone.” He gave her a face that clearly read, ‘ _ and _ ?’ She shrugged and continued, “It’s just her default personality. You should be glad she’s not actually a blood relative of me and Shuu-chan.”

“Thank  _ kami-sama _ ,” he muttered. “If she was, I’m pretty sure anything that got within ten feet of her would just  _ die _ .”

“Now you’re just being melodramatic,” she grinned weakly. “Obviously it would be  _ at least _ two feet.”

Shisui snorted and nudged her shoulder with his, “Go have your talk with the  _ bakemono _ , and I’ll go be a good Uchiha and report in.”

“Calling her a  _ bakemono  _ is why you’re on her shitlist,” Hachimitsu informed him dryly.

He grinned at her cheekily and responded, “Nah, it’s because she can’t take my sheer awesomeness!”

Hachimitsu removed the security seal she had placed, and retorted easily as they left the room, “What awesomeness?” Shisui gasped in mock pain, clutching his chest and giving her an exaggerated wounded look.

**|**

**Hachimitsu** knew she wasn’t as skilled at stealth as her twin (who took stealth to a whole other level that was frightening at times - but she was the better fighter), but she had enough skill to track Suzuki Kei down and follow her until she was alone. When she did get her alone, she proceeded to kidnap the blue haired shinobi and drag her to her room without alerting her family that she was back. Her mom probably already knew, but she wouldn’t get off her shift for another few hours.

Kei twisted out of the other girl’s grip, flopping back on her bed and whining, “Seriously, Hachi? You could’ve just asked me to come over, damn it.”

Hachi snarled, “What the hell is going on?”

Kei continued to stare at the ceiling as she said lazily, “Your mom’s gonna wash your fucking mouth out.” She already knew what Hachimitsu wanted, but she wasn’t going to confirm anything just yet. She eyed the ink painted all over the walls, noting there was more than the last time she had been here.

“Like your one to talk,” Hachi retorted irritably. “Why do you think we’re in my room? It’s the securest place I know of.”

Kei hummed, rolling over and up into a lounging position against the wall, turning a lazy gaze towards Hachimitsu, “Fair enough. I think you even added more fucking seals since I was last here.” She flapped her hand at the walls and ceiling, before shifting a knee up and resting her elbow on it and holding her chin with her hand.

“You’re stalling,” Hachimitsu growled, even as she sat down in front of the other girl. “ _ What’s going on _ ? Why is Shuu-chan a  _ traitor _ ?”

The blue haired girl suddenly looked years older, a tiredness creeping into her face that wasn’t her normal laziness. “How secure is this damn room?” she asked instead, sounding too weary for her age of only sixteen years.

“What goes on in this room,  _ stays _ in this room,” Hachimitsu answered slowly, eyes narrowing, and the worry in the pit of her stomach increasing. “It’s mixed with so many seals, no one is gonna be breaking it. Even mom can’t figure it out.”

Kei eyed the seals thoughtfully, before rubbing her forehead and asking, “You know what Shuu was working on, right?”

Narrowing her eyes, Hachimitsu answered cautiously, “She was looking into missing children. It had something to do with Orochimaru.” Thoughts spinning as she tried to figure just what exactly was going on, she asked tentatively, “Did she find something?”

Kei scoffed, “Yeah she did.” Then, scowling down at the blankets with a furious glare, she continued, “I have no fucking clue if she still needed more proof, or already found some, but whatever the hell she  _ did  _ find alerted this  _ person _ .” The absence of her best friend left a gaping hole in her life, and there wasn’t anything  _ she could actually do about it _ .  It left bile in the back of her throat, and it took every ounce of meagre self-control she had not to murder every shinobi that bad mouthed Shuukaku. It wouldn’t do to draw unnecessary attention to herself.

“So, Shuu-chan  _ was _ framed,” Hachimitsu muttered viciously, glaring at her wall. “Obviously by someone high up in the ranks, or a paper-nin who knows the system as well as  _ we _ do.” She turned her gaze to Kei sharply, who was watching her with a studiously blank expression that was at odds with her usual expressions. “Do you have any idea who?” she demanded.

Kei continued to stare at her for a moment, before she finally answered in a dead tone, “Danzou.”

“ _ Danzou _ ?” Hachimitsu hissed venomously, thoughts racing too fast to actually come up with something coherent.  _ She knew him _ . He was the damn bastard running a rumor war  _ against the Uchiha _ . He was basically telling the Clan that the village didn’t need them, and they would be better off if they all just  _ died _ . It was simply  _ idiotic _ considering the Uchiha were a  _ founding clan _ .

Kei eyed her for a moment, “Yes. I had forgotten you were working with the Uchiha against him.” It seemed stupid to forget that little tidbit, but with everything that had been going on, well, who could blame her for forgetting.

The other girl nodded, clenching her jaw and growling, “He’s trying to drive the Uchiha out of the village for some reason, and-” She cut herself off before she could reveal something she shouldn’t.

“And?” Kei prompted, when she didn’t continue.

Hachimitsu shook her head, “No, sorry. I found some information I can’t share without breaking the Uchiha’s trust in me.”

Kei shrugged easily, “Feh. Whatever.” The two were silent for a moment before Kei broke it with a question, “But you think Danzou is behind whatever it is?”

Hachimitsu had to take a minute before she realized what the girl was talking about. “You’re saying he’s involved with the missing children?” she asked, and continued when Kei nodded. “Well, Shuu-chan only started looking into it because of Orochimaru. He didn’t exactly have time to go kidnap kids, nor the funds for the lab we found. She believed there was another party involved. Given the nature of  _ that _ and the fact Orochimaru was researching and experimenting with bloodlines? Not much of a leap to say he’s behind this.”

“Well, he has his dirty fucking fingers in all sorts of nasty pies,” Kei muttered, tracing the seal lines with her eyes and missing the questioning look from Hachimitsu. She swallowed roughly and, avoiding the other girl’s gaze, dropped another bombshell on her, “Shuu’s teammates are dead.”

Because  _ why not _ ? With everything else that had already happened, why not have her  _ twin sister’s teammates be dead as well? _ Hachimitsu didn’t even realize she was letting out a high pitched keening noise until Kei was in her face, holding her cheeks and rubbing them together.

“Hachi, Hachi, Hachi,” she was chanting, voice faintly panicked and sounding like she was on the verge of breaking down.

“ _ How? _ ” she choked out, blinking back tears violently, and clutching onto Kei’s shirt, twisting the material with her fingers. Kei stuttered out a noise of confusion, and Hachimitsu clarified, “How did they die?”

Kei’s fingers spasmed against the girl’s face, but her voice was level when she answered, “Officially? A fucking mission accident. Unofficially? I’m positive fucking  _ Danzou _ had them killed.”

“Why? He framed Shuu-chan, not  _ killed _ ,” she asked, clinging to Kei desperately and inhaling the other girl’s scent somewhat frantically.

Kei swallowed dryly, licking her lips and managing to choke out somewhat hysterically, “I think it’s my fault.” Hachimitsu stared at her, not letting her pull away like she obviously wanted to. She simply waited for her to continue. After a frazzled minute, she did. “They came to me, ya know? Because like hell they would believe Shuu would sell out the fucking village. They-they wanted to know how to  _ fix it _ . So-so I-I  _ told them _ . We needed fucking  _ proof _ Shuu was framed. They went digging, but they weren’t  _ careful enough - why couldn’t they have been careful enough? _ He noticed, ya know? Because why not? He’d already framed Shuu, so why not notice her teammate’s digging?”

She took a gulping gasp, fingers curling desperately against Hachimitsu’s face, but eyes completely dry despite her voice cracking with emotion. “By then Shuu had already fled, and I guess he figured it was just easier to have them  _ fucking killed _ in a “mission accident” then frame them too. Doesn’t matter much now, though huh? They’re  _ still fucking dead and it’s my fault _ .”

Hachimitsu was quiet and then huffed weakly, closing their eyes, “They did exactly what I was planning on doing. It’s not your fault.”

“And now you know the fucking consequences of what happens when you go against him,” Kei growled, looking at her fiercely. “This isn’t going to be an easy fix, and you’re already on Danzou’s fucking shitlist because of the Uchiha, so you have better be fucking careful or I will  _ murder you myself, you hear me, Hachi _ ?”

“Is there even going to be a fix?” Hachimitsu asked weakly, fingers tightening in their grip of Kei’s shirt, even as she met the other girl’s eyes.

“Probably not,” Kei scoffed, visibly pulling herself back together. “Shuu’s gonna be a missing-nin for a while.”

“So, we drop it, go with what everyone believes, and be extra careful about what we’re poking at.”

Kei gave her a flat stare and corrected, “You mean what  _ you’re _ poking at. If  _ I _ try to poke at anything, I’m fucking  _ dead _ . I’m nowhere near skilled enough to poke at something like this. I’m lucky I’m not dead already.”

“Fine,  _ me, _ ” Hachimitsu rolled her eyes, huffing and slowly releasing the death grip she had on Kei’s shirt, just as Kei was removing her hands from her cheeks. Then she rubbed a hand over her face and sighed, “ _ Shit _ , I’m going to have to tell my family to  _ drop it _ .  _ Kami-sama _ , everyone...have they been poking?”

“Not really?” Kei grimaced, moving her arms so she was hugging herself. “I think they were waiting on you to get back before they went all wild cat on the village.”

Hachimitsu groaned, hiding her face in her hands, “I’m gonna have to mince my words too, since they won’t  _ all _ fit in my room.”

Kei shook her head, “You shouldn’t tell them that much anyway. Tell them as little as possible; the less they know the safer they are. Your teammates too.” Kei immediately caught the flinch and demanded, “What happened? Are Nishiki and Shisui alright?”

Hachimitsu clenched her jaw and spat, “Nishiki’s dead.” Kei whined in the back of her throat, and Hachimitsu could see her heart shattering into pieces. And she had forgotten. Nishiki and Kei had gotten involved a few months back, and had been steady and so very obviously  _ in love _ with each other. She didn’t even have to think about it. She leaned forward and drew the other girl into a tight embrace. She knew there wouldn’t be tears, Kei had lost that ability a long time ago, but that didn’t stop the dry sobs from shaking her suddenly fragile body.

It was a while before Kei had enough control over herself to pull back and ask, “The  _ chibi _ ?”

And then the rage was back with a fiery vengeance. “I tell the Hokage, and he tells me I have to  _ abandon  _ Naruto! That he’ll never know! Then he tells me my sister’s a traitor and on the run with a kill on sight order. And I can’t do a thing about it and her teammates are  _ dead _ .”

“I suppose I should mention that everyone thinks Shuu killed them,” Kei added, voice cracking. Hachimitsu let out a little hysterical laugh, and winced when she continued, “I haven’t informed my teammates about any of this either.”

“Isn’t Kenshin a Hyuuga?” Hachimitsu asked tentatively.

Kei gave her a somewhat bitter smile and answered, “We have a silent agreement to just ignore the elephant in the room. It’s working pretty well.”

Hachimitsu eyed her and huffed, “Of course it is. But then, who  _ does _ know the truth?”

“Kiyoi knows,” she answered promptly. It was kind of a given the blonde would know. All three of them had grown up together and it was only rules that had prevented them from being assigned the same genin team. Though that had actually probably been for the best. “I’m pretty fucking sure no one in your family knows the truth, though they don’t believe Shuu is a traitor. Inoichi is basically in the same boat, but is keeping his head down and not asking questions, which is probably for the best since the rest of his fucking genin team are now dead. Other than that? That masked weirdo you call a brother might know something.”

“Kakashi-ni-senpai?” Hachimitsu asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “No, he wouldn’t know anything and is probably pulling what Inoichi is if he  _ does _ believe Shuu-chan wouldn’t do something like this.”

Kei merely shrugged, “That’s pretty much every one.”

“So just us and Kiyoi know the full truth and we should keep it that way,” Hachi summarized, making Kei hum in response. “Well, I’ll keep poking around, since if I drop the Uchiha completely it will draw attention in the wrong way, just as much as being noticed I’m poking. I’ll just gradually taper off.” She grimaced at the idea. She really didn’t want to have to do that, but it was better to be alive and able to do something, then be dead and  _ not _ .

Kei eyed her, still looking a little brittle around the edges, “Good plan. If you do that and manage to keep an eye on Danzou without drawing too much attention, well. He  _ is _ human. He’s bound to make a mistake at some point.”

“And then we’ll pounce,” Hachimitsu purred, getting to her feet.

Kei stood as well, and then added cautiously, “Shuu probably has some plans of her own. She’s led all the tracking teams sent after her on a wild goose chase, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she drops off the map completely soon, if not already.” Hachimitsu nodded in agreement, and Kei leaned over to touch their cheeks together, “Take a nap. Sleep helps.”

Hachimitsu grunted, and waved goodbye as the other girl left through the window. She was distracted for a moment by thoughts of seals for her window to make it harder to get in and out of, but soon the day took its toll and she collapsed on her bed and sobbed.

**|**

**_Year 104 - March 6 - Outskirts of Takanobe Village - Fire Country_ **

**|**

**Fury** was the only thing driving her right now. How dare he. How dare he use her own area of expertise  _ against _ her. There would nothing left of him when she was through with him.

Kita Shuukaku snarled as she led the current tracking team following her into a secluded part of the forests surrounding the Takanobe Village. It was the only team that had even gotten close to her since she had been forced to flee her village. She had set up a maze of false trails to lead the teams sent after her away from her, and by the time anyone had realized what she had done, she was on the other side of the country from where they were.

However, there was only one tracking team that would have known what she would have done, and it was the only reason she was leading them to a secluded area rather than killing them outright. She would never kill a fellow Konoha shinobi if she could help it.

With another leap, she skidded a little across the forest floor in the clearing, spinning on her foot and relaxing into her taijutsu stance. Not even a minute passed before she sensed two of the group stay further back, while the third rushed for the clearing. It was another minute before a far too familiar form landed on one of the branches, blue eyes staring down at her neutrally.

“Kiyoi,” Shuukaku greeted lightly, stance still deceptively relaxed.

The blonde inclined her head, long braid falling over her shoulder and greeted back, “Shuu.” There was silence as the two stared at each other before Mori Kiyoi said flatly, “Takeo and Kiyoshi are dead.”

Shuukaku’s mind went blank. Takeo and Kiyoshi dead? It had only been two weeks since she’s fled, how were they  _ dead _ ? Her boys weren’t supposed to be  _ dead _ \- they were- they were supposed to be alive and moving on with their lives. They-they would make careers in the Torture and Interrogation Department and drive Inoichi-sensei up the wall.

She-

She would never see them again?

“...how?”

Kiyoi winced, shifting on the branch, and answered cautiously, “Officially a mission accident - though the rumor mill paints it as you who killed them.”

Her -  _ kill her teammates _ ? Wasn’t it bad enough she was branded as a  _ traitor _ to her village? Wait- “Officially? What about  _ unofficially _ ?” Shuukaku’s eyes had bled gold and her pupils had contracted into slits - Ghost had prowled forward and was rumbling for  _ blood _ . Her lips curled back around her teeth, showing the feline like teeth that were itching to rip someone’s throat out.

Kiyoi tapped her fingers against her thigh nervously, eyeing her best friend. It was one thing when they had been safe together in the village, but now that Shuukaku was labelled traitor and without a territory and pack, she was much more liable to attack. Kiyoi knew she was pack, but she wasn’t as close as Takeo and Kiyoshi - or even Kei - and so she wasn’t positive she  _ wouldn’t _ be attacked.

“Unofficially, it was the Hawk,” she answered lowly, mindful of the fact that even a few dozen yards away, her teammate was still an Inuzuka.

She wasn’t prepared for the haunting yowl that escaped the redhead’s mouth. The Kita had doubled over, clutching her head and making distressed noises that tore from her throat in between heaving sobs. She hunched down on the ground, making a low keening noise, that had Kiyoi teetering on the edge of wanting to comfort her best friend.

The blonde winced when her teammates appeared at her side, but was thankful when they didn’t attack their target. “We’re not stupid, ya know,” Garou Inuzuka growled lowly, eyeing Shuukaku with a pained sympathy. He had seen his father (strong and tall and so, so  _ proud _ ) breakdown in a very similar way when he heard about the death of his own teammates. He had never been the same afterwards, and not even his mother had been able to help before she had died too.

“Shuukaku-san would never betray the village,” Kurama Naoki muttered, tucking his ashy gray hair behind his ear and tugging his headband in a more secure manner. He then tucked his hands into his kimono sleeves and continued, “It’s obvious someone wanted to get rid of her. Hokage-sama would’ve only sent out the Hunter-nin to kill her if she was truly a traitor, but instead he sends out tracker teams?” He shook his head, looking only vaguely disgusted.  

Garou picked up the train of thought though, lips curling back in a snarl of his own, “Not to mention, there are other teams tracking her with the intent to kill that I’ve never seen before in the village. But they still have the scent of Konoha that all of us have.”

Kiyoi shrugged uncomfortably, “Drop it.” The two boys shared a look over her head, but both inclined their heads in agreement.

Shuukaku finally fell silent, but it wasn’t the usual redhead the three were used to dealing with. Her eyes had bled gold entirely, her whites gone completely, and the pupil slit, while her teeth were bared subtly in a dangerous expression. “Where are those teams?” she growled lowly, her voice deep and slightly guttural in tone.

Kiyoi glanced over to Garou, and the Inuzuka bristled slightly, the hair on the back of his neck standing up as those gold eyes turned to him. He knew the gaze of a predator when he saw one, and he was  _ so _ glad he wasn’t the actual target. “They followed the North and West trails,” he answered, shifting closer to Kiyoi subconsciously.

“Shuu,” the blonde started before the redhead could start her own hunting. “Be careful.”

Shuukaku narrowed her eyes, before in a single bound she was in front of the three of them. Gently she pressed her cheek against the blonde’s, inhaling deeply. A low rumble emanated from her chest, and Kiyoi pressed back, something inside her easing. Shuukaku would stay as safe as much as a missing-nin could. With one last nuzzle, the redhead vanished without a trace.

“We lost the trail near Kitatsugaru village along the Southern Coast border with Tea Country,” Kiyoi said conversationally.

Garou huffed, “The trail turned cold, just like all the others. If we lost the trail it implies we weren’t actually looking.”

Kiyoi gave him a mild smile, before turning to Naoki with a questioning look. He answered the silent question with, “We questioned the villagers, but no one had seen someone with red hair, or in fact, anyone new. It’s out of season for tourists, so they would know if someone new had come through. The surrounding areas showed no sign of shinobi or civilian travel.” The three shared a nod, before turning South to make the story a reality. They had to be careful not to arouse suspicion.

Shuukaku headed up North, first. She had laid a trail that had cut through the forests, rather than any of the roads, and made it seem like she was heading for Rice Country. The trail leading West though, made it seem as if she was heading over to the border of Wind Country or towards Ame. However, she wanted to keep them from finding out her real destination, and to also let out some of her rage.

If these unknown squads that smelled like Konoha, but weren’t actually Konoha, were a part of Danzou’s supposedly disbanded ROOT organization. Well, nobody would miss them, would they?

A feral grin spread across her face and she went into complete stealth mode. No one would be able to see or hear her until she wanted them too.

Her ability with stealth was one of her greatest strengths, but most people didn’t realize just how good at it she was. Even when she had popped out of nowhere, they only focused on her scaring the shit out them, rather than the fact they  _ hadn’t realized she’d been there _ . She had drawn attention to her seal work and kenjutsu, rather than her stealth, and that habit would now serve her better as a missing-nin rather than a village shinobi.

It rankled at her that she was a missing-nin when she had given everything to her village. That her own specialty of Intelligence had been used  _ against _ her. But above all it was the fact that he had had her  _ team killed _ . Blood would be spilled before even a portion of her rage was soothed.

She reached the border town of Mogami in just over two and a half days and, stretching her senses out, pinpointed the location of the team following her false trail. Ghost let out a rumbling purr, and she slipped away in that direction. The Hunt was officially on.

It was almost too easy to sneak up on the four-man team, and even easier to silently slip behind one and slit their throat. Before the others could react she had gutted another one, and was sliding her sword through the chest of the third. She ducked under a swing from the forth, pulling her sword out in one smooth move as she spun around, blade glinting in the dying light. There was the clash of metal as her blade hit the other’s, and in a move only she could pull off, twisted her body, dropped her sword and snapped their neck.

She surveyed the scene and noting that the one she had gutted was still alive, moved over and simply slit his throat. All four of them had blank ANBU masks. She narrowed her eyes dangerously, before rifling through their stuff to see if there was anything useful. Other than the basic shinobi supplies, which she sealed away in the storage seal on her wrist, there wasn’t anything of note. Grumbling, she piled the bodies on top of each other and set off the fire seal on the inner part of left arm.

The bodies went up in flames and she left only after they had all turned to ash, cutting the chakra she was feeding into the seal off. The flames went out, and she scattered the ashes, before turning her sights in the direction of yet another border town, Yuza, this one near the Ame border. Goura had said there had been only two teams, so two teams would die. After the second team was hunted, she would make her way to Uzushio to disappear for a while.

If she ran through the night and the next day she’d make it to Yuza by the next night fall at least, and provided everything went relatively smoothly she could make it to the coast within two days of non-stop travelling. She had wanted to be out of Fire Country a week ago, but having to lay false trails had severely cut into her time. Furthermore, with the revelation of her teammate’s deaths, she wasn’t going to leave until  _ someone _ was dead. It provided a greater risk of actually getting caught, but she didn’t care at that moment.

She was on the Hunt and wouldn’t stop until they were all dead.

**|**

**_Year 104 - March 11 - Outskirts of Yuza Village - Fire Country Border_ **

**|**

**The** battle wasn’t as easy as the previous one had been, but Shuukaku didn’t actually mind by that point. Ghost was yowling with bloodlust and her blood was pumping through her veins as a feral grin stretched over her face. Her seals were glowing with her chakra and her precious  _ Yasei no Soshaku _ was singing in wild abandon. She had been able to slit the throat of one of her targets, but the others had reacted quicker than the other group, and a battle had commenced.

Shuukaku had chopped the head off of another one early on, leaving her fighting two on one, but one of them was beginning to lag. She twisted her body out of the way of an oncoming swing, and in a move that contorted her whole body, gutted the one tiring (who as a testament to said tiredness couldn’t dodge in time). With only one opponent left, she twisted once more, blade slicing through the air and caught him by surprise, the sword sliding into his stomach with sickening ease.

She pulled the blade out with a nauseating squelch, slicing his throat and then the other one she’d gutted. Once again she piled the bodies, and feeding chakra into the fire seal set them aflame. Only after the bodies had turned to ash, did she start making her way for the coast. She wouldn’t rest until she was completely out of Fire Country.

It would be another two days of no sleep, and then a tense resting period stowed away on a ship heading for Tea Country for a week. Once she arrived there, she’d recuperate for a day, and then cross to the other coast, which would take a day and half if she slept for the night. After she reached the coast, she would ship hop with her stealth until she reached Uzushio. That would take a month, give or take, and once she actually arrived at Uzushio she’d probably sleep for a few days just recuperating.

And to Konoha, they’d believe her to be dead, with no appearances or leads.  

She would figure out what to do after she made it to Uzushio.

**|**

**_Year 104 - March 18 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

**|**

**Shimura** Danzou frowned down at the report in his hand, unsure what to take from it. The two squads he had sent after that pest Kita Shuukaku had all vanished, with no traces to be found. There had been evidence of what trail they had followed and where that had led, but after they reached the border towns, they were simply  _ gone _ .  

But he had been a shinobi for too long to believe they were simply gone. 

He didn’t know how or who, but he  _ would _ find out. It couldn’t have been Kita, she was too low skilled for her to be able to take down two teams of his ROOT shinobi, so something or one had taken them out instead. With any luck, Kita would be eaten alive by other missing-nin if not one of the teams sent out by him or Hiruzen. 

Despite the loss of his teams, a good thing had happened and he was at least satisfied by that. Kita Shuukaku was no longer a thorn in his side, and would no doubt be dead soon, if not already. 

**|**

**“The** trail went cold on the outskirts of the Southern Coast border village Kitatsugaru,” Kiyoi reported, face bland. “We questioned the locals and scouted out the surrounding area, but no one had seen anyone new and we couldn’t find any sign of shinobi or civilian travel.”

The Hokage hummed, inhaling a lungful of smoke, and said, “Very well. You’re dismissed.” The tracking team nodded in unison and left the office for the week downtime before they were no doubt to be sent out on another mission. 

Kiyoi cocked her head at her teammates and asked idly, “Noodle run?”

Garou huffed, but nodded in agreement, whereas Naoki smiled and said, “Of course, Kiyoi-chan.” The three had made it a habit to eat out together after missions, and so if there friends ever wanted to get a hold of them after a mission they were all in one spot. Kiyoi knew Kei at least would find them there because if anything else had happened while they had been gone, the other shinobi would inform them the moment they were available. 

True to form, the moment they sat down at a table with their bowls, Kei appeared at the entry way, a grim look on her face that only enhanced the tired lines in her face. Kiyoi stared. What the hell had happened? “Kei?” the blonde asked warily when the blue haired shinobi sat down with a grunt. 

“Nishiki’s dead,” Kei responded, voice dead. Kiyoi flinched and let out a low whine, but didn’t offer any comfort. No doubt it would only cause Kei to irritated, since she was already grieving, and from the tired lines already broken down at some point. 

Naoki’s smile faded into a frown, but didn’t push, instead asking, “Hachimitsu-san is back?” Garou was simply content to stuff his face with noodles to avoid any emotional bullshit. He wasn’t going to touch that situation with a twenty-foot pole. He would only make it worse rather than better, so he wasn’t even going to try. Naoki and Kiyoi, on the other hand, were a hell of a lot better at those kind of situations. 

“How is she doing?” Kiyoi asked cautiously. It probably hadn’t been pretty when the girl had returned only to find out her sister was branded a traitor and her teammates were dead as well. Add all of that on top of the death of her  _ own _ teammate? She was surprised the village was still standing. 

Kei stole Naoki’s bowl of noodles with a grumpy look, though the gray haired shinobi gave it up willingly enough. It was the normal kind of thing between the two since they had grown up together mostly as cousins. Kei would “steal” Naoki’s food, while the boy only looked amused giving up said food easily. “She’s not coping well, but none of us do,” Kei grunted, slurping some of the noodles lazily. “She’s been forbidden from seeing the  _ chibi _ , Sushi too.”

Kiyoi gaped, and sputtered, “What? But doesn’t she have a cla-”

Kei shook her head, interrupting before the blonde could even finish, “Jiji gave up the name and never reclaimed it. Nobody remembers he’s one, anyways. But with everything with Shuu, Hachi’s been forbidden, and through her Sushi too.”

Kiyoi hesitated before asking, “Can you take over caretaker duties through Nishiki-kun?”

The only sign of Kei’s emotional state with the white knuckled grip on her chopsticks. “I’m not sure if the Hokage would even allow it. We weren’t exactly married,” Kei answered blandly, eyes focused on her noodles as she shoved a bunch in her mouth. “Besides, I’m not exactly child-friendly.”

Naoki snickered at that, making Kei elbow him harshly in the stomach. Garou swallowed his own mouthful and asked, “Could one of us take up the duties?”

Kei immediately shook her head, “You and Naoki can’t, you’re fucking  _ clan  _ kids. Kiyoi probably can’t for the same vague reasons I can’t, despite being more kid friendly. Chances are the  _ chibi  _ will be sent to an fucking orphanage officially.” She felt rather vindicated when the other three shinobi all looked appalled. Kiyoi looked like she wanted to storm the Hokage Tower and throttle said Hokage. 

Surprisingly it was Garou who pointed out, “Won’t that be emotionally damaging to the pup? He’s what three? Having a primary caregiver and then suddenly not? He’s going to grow abandonment issues.”

Kei snarled at him, “Trust me,  _ I know _ . I don’t know what the fuck that old man is thinking, but he’s not even telling the  _ chibi _ Nishiki’s  _ dead _ .”

“Are  _ we  _ forbidden from associating with the  _ chibi _ ?” Naoki asked idly, using his own chopsticks to steal one of the tempura pieces on Garou’s side plate. Kei opened her mouth to respond, but paused. Well, she hadn’t been told she  _ couldn’t  _ see the  _ chibi _ and she’d have to be stupid to think the Hokage  _ didn’t _ know she had visited the  _ chibi _ before.

“Ya know, I don’t fucking know,” the girl finally responded, looking contemplative. She may hate kids, but the  _ chibi _ had grown on her like some stubborn fungus. There was also the fact that the  _ chibi _ was pack to Shuu and Hachi, and that meant  _ her _ as well. If nothing else, it’d keep Hachi relatively happy. And if it soothed some of her own hurt, well. That was her business. 


	2. Chapter 2

**DEFUNCT**

[dih- **fuhngkt** ]

_adjective_

1\. no longer in effect or use; not operating or functioning

2\. no longer in existence; dead; extinct

**|**

**Summary:** You never know when an Uzumaki will cause chaos. _[Uzushio: Resident Haunted Ruins of the Elemental Nations]_

 **Genre:** Action/Adventure/Humor

 **Warning (s):** crack level humor taken seriously; what-if scenarios; ninjas; violence/gore; unhealthy coping mechanisms; skewed morality; endangerment of minors; alteration of canon events; minor angst; historical bullshit; technical bullshit; other things I can’t think of off the top of my head right now

  


**|**

_Chapter Two_ : The History of Uzushiogakure

**|**

**_Year 104 - April 25 - Uzushiogakure Ruins - Whirlpool Country_ **

**|**

**Ruins** were not an easy place to find a relatively comfortable and secure place to sleep, but somehow Shuukaku had managed. She had found a hollowed out niche between two pillars and a broken building, and had curled up there and basically slept for four days, letting her body and mind rest for the first time in two and half months. On the fourth day of her short hibernation, she woke around noon, feeling groggy yet wide awake.

Brown eyes took in her surroundings and an ancient sort of sorrow filled her heart. The once grand and rich Uzushio was laid to waste. Once tall and proud pillars lay crumbled and cracked, homes were demolished and buildings were weather worn and close to shambles. But that wasn’t what made her breath hitch and eyes burn.

It was the skeletons scattered everywhere.

Young and old. No one had been spared. It was a miracle any had ever escaped. Chances were there was no one around who really remembered any more either. She had only ever heard stories from her grandfather, and there had been few and far between names mentioned. These bodies were left nameless and without memories to let them live on.

It was no wonder people had claimed the ruins to be haunted. If anything, it _was_.

There was a bone chilling loneliness permeating the air. It was twisted with rage and the need for someone _anyone_ to notice, to _remember_. And there was grief. So much grief. Grief of the death of loved ones. Grief over their home being lost. Grief of the loss of their way of life.

And Shuukaku could feel it; could feel it thrumming beneath her feet and in the air. Uzushio had been built on and _by_ seals. And those seals had been soaked in the blood of the people who built them. There was something calling her. Like there was a string around her tugging her in a direction. Naturally curious (and more than willing to get away from all of the emotions that were bringing up the fact her teammates were dead and she was _all alone out here_ ), she followed the strange feeling.

The ruins were widespread, and most of it was half buried in water, colors faded from sun exposure, but the tugging led her to the very heart of what was once Uzushio. It was a courtyard with a spiralling design tiled out beneath her in what must have once been brilliants blues and oranges. The design was interesting though. It looked like the designs of the seal works her grandfather had used and taught her and her sister and mother.

She tilted her head, following the almost lazily grandiose design with her eyes and then her feet. It slowly spiralled into the center of the courtyard, and she knelt down by the center tile, which was still a bright red, even though the rest of the tiles had long since faded. She poked at it, curious, and somehow wasn’t surprised when it moved. Uzumaki’s were rather ingenious with their designs and hiding spots, and if she had wanted to keep something hidden, usually the most obvious was the best way.

The tile rose slowly, revealing a rather large scroll that was probably only in such mint condition due to seals. It was a solid black with a pale red cover around the middle. The cover was covered in a variety of different seals in different hands, which was actually rather surprising. Her and Hachi still hadn’t figured out a way to combine their seals. They tended to explode more often than not. Grandfather had always laughed when she had complained about it, saying she would find her way eventually.

...She probably wouldn’t be able to now.

The redhead shook the thought away, and startled when a voice suddenly said, “Hoh? An Uzumaki?” Clutching the scroll tightly, she spun around, falling into a defensive stance and resting a hand on the hilt of her blade, and stared. In front of her was a _transparent figure._

She couldn’t help but gape, no doubt unattractively. While transparent, there was still an element of faded colors to the figure, and he had the red tone of Uzumaki colored hair. His eyes were almost white in the faded color, but there was the faintest tint of blue. He resembled her grandfather in his stature and some of his facial features.

Which meant he couldn’t be anything _but_ an Uzumaki.

And apparently dead.

...and a ghost.

Ghost chuffed curiously in the back of her mind.

How was this her life?

“Uh. How ya doing?” she finally asked, nothing better coming to the forefront of her mind in the face of the sudden supernatural.

The man (gh...ost?) grinned at her widely and holy shit it was like her grandfather in his prime, what the _fuck_ , and tucked his hands away in his sleeves. “Oho? And you can see me too! Who’s your parents, little Uzumaki?” he asked, bending forward, and lips still stretched in a wide grin.

“...my parents were born in Konohagakure,” Shuukaku started awkwardly. “But _Jiji_ was born and raised in Uzushio before he met _obaasan_. His name is Oden Hikaru now.” She eyed him warily, not sure how this man-ghost-person would take to the lack of Uzumaki name.

If anything the man’s face brightened even further, “Hikaru-chan? He actually settled down? Wao! He was such a snotty brat, hahahaha!”

Shuukaku could only stare. Hikaru- _chan_ ...??? _What_.

Then, suddenly, he was in her face eyes intent and searching. “Hmm, you definitely have some of his features,” he murmured, transparent fingers reaching out and sliding through her hair without actually touching. It made her wish desperately for her cat eared hat, but she had to ditch it before she left the village, since it was one of her recognizable features. “Got his hair color for sure. He had one of the brightest hues of the lot, before he went bald. What’s your name?”

She stared for a moment, the touch having brought a sense of deep loss hidden under a sense of cheerfulness. “Shuukaku. Kita Shuukaku,” she answered quietly, fingers clenching around the scroll like a lifeline.

His lips twisted in a wistful, but cheery grin and he responded in kind, “My name is Uzumaki Akira, Shuukaku-chan.”

 

**|**

 

 **The** scroll she had found turned out to be the history of Uzushio and the seals pertaining to the rise of the Uzumaki Clan. It was a kind of mess of written history, theories, and seals. The Uzukages had all written their own seals, theories, and the changes that occurred in their reign, along with other notes on previous things written. Akira had laughed uproariously when she had told him what the scroll was.

His reasoning for laughing was that he was amazed the Kages had had the patience to even document all of that. Give an Uzumaki a seal and they’ll be perfectly happy, give them paperwork of any kind and they were more liable to cursing you to the depths of hell.

Shuukaku hadn’t really cared though. It was _interesting_ . Konoha didn’t have any written documents of the time before Konohagakure was created, but this scroll had the history of the _Uzumaki Clan_ before any village was settled. It was incredible as much as it was bittersweet.

Because her sister wasn’t there to share in the amazing-ness of it all.

Thankfully, Akira hadn’t questioned her sudden melancholy that had overcome her. She wandered the ruins, poking around only half-heartedly, Akira floating along after her. She had begun gathering the skeletons of the people, determined to give them a proper burial even though it was decades later. They deserved the chance to finally rest in peace.

It was also because she couldn’t stand the ghosts she was suddenly seeing everywhere.

They floated around everywhere she turned, and only some of them had the animation that Akira did. Most of them were screaming and sobbing, clutching at the many wounds littering their bodies, wounds that were, for the most part, fatal. Others would simply stare and mutter one phrase or another, over and over again, as if they couldn’t remember anything else. “They’re only shades, not the actual soul,” Akira intoned solemnly, tucking his hands away in his sleeves.

Shuukaku glanced over at him briefly, before returning to digging the body of a child out from under some rubble. “...Do you think giving them a proper burial will help?” she asked quietly, ignoring the pain in her fingers as she continued to dig.

Akira hummed, looking sorrowful and grieved as he watched her dig, and after a moment simply muttered, “Who knows.” She spent the rest of the day hunting down and digging out bodies, resolutely ignoring the ghosts haunting the places. In some ways it was a mind numbing work that helped her forget the still fresh pain of her teammates deaths, and the separation from her family, _her pack_ . She missed Kei and her murderous tendencies, Kiyoi and her soothing cheeriness, the happy babbling of her baby cousins, the rustling of leaves in the wind. Her brothers. Her parents. _Jiji_ and _obaasan_.

 _Hachi_.

She choked back a sob, belatedly realizing that her hands were shaking terribly and caked in dirt and blood. She hunched over, trying to prevent the sobs from breaking free, to _not cry_. But the effort only hurt and made it hard to breath. She clawed at the ground desperately, the sun slowly sinking in the waves and painting the sky a bloody red and deep purple.

Akira looked at her in alarm, unsure what exactly had happened. He wasn’t unobservant enough to not notice that something was off about Hikaru-chan’s granddaughter, but he didn’t know her _reasons_ . It had been strange enough to find an Uzumaki in the ruins once more, when none had come in all the years after its destruction. Now there suddenly was one, and she _could see them_.

The girl threw her head back, her grief overcoming her in that moment and let out a long mournful call, tears streaming down her cheeks. The call trailed off into a long, low keen, and it was _heartbreaking_ . The redhead whined, still clawing at the dirt, back hunching as she ducked her head, sobbing brokenly. “W _hy?_ Why did they _die_ ? Ta _keo_ ! Kiy _oshi_ ! _Why? Why did you leave me?_ ” she bawled, breath hitching and a low rumbling noise began to emanate from her chest.

It reminded Akira of a cat’s purr, and he noted that she seemed to be trying to comfort herself with the noise, but it kept getting interrupted by painful hiccups and sobs. “ _Hachi_ ,” she moaned, hands moving from the ground to claw at her head instead, twisting into her red locks and tugging harshly. “Do _n’t_ _le_ ave m _e_ ,” she whimpered, curling into herself further and tugging her hair weakly, body trembling fiercely. She was still making that purring noise weakly, _desperately_.

And he couldn’t stand it.

“Shuukaku-chan?” he asked gently, crouching down next to her, but not reaching out for her yet. He couldn’t actually touch her anyways, and he had noticed that she had felt his emotions when he had touched her hair earlier, and that wouldn’t help her in any way right now. She only whimpered in response, not even looking at him. Akira looked at her unsurely.

He wasn’t quite sure what to do. He didn’t know who they were, or what had happened to her. She had said her parents were born in Konohagakure, that implied she was a ninja for the village. So why was she _here_ in Uzushio?

The ghost frowned, and then asked cautiously, “Shuukaku-chan, who is Hachi?”

She flinched, making a louder purring noise that was broken by a hiccup, but opened her red rimmed eyes to look at him. He was almost afraid she wouldn’t answer him, when she finally choked out, “ _My twin_.”

He swallowed and asked gingerly, “And where is she?”

“Konoha,” she started, and then added, voice cracking, “ _Home_.”

His stomach sank. “Why aren’t you home, Shuukaku-chan?” he asked gently, drifting closer to her, but still not touching.

Nothing could have prepared him for the feral rage that overcame her in response to his question. Her lips pulled back around her teeth, baring a mouthful of cat-like teeth in a snarl, and her eyes bled a dangerous gold color. “BECAUSE I WAS FRAMED!” she howled furiously, hair bristling like an angry feline’s. “I CAN’T GO BACK! I’ve been branded a _traitor_ , and now I have no _team, no pack_ !” She pulled her hair agitatedly, smearing even more dirt and blood into the slowly matting locks. She growled lowly, eyes narrowing, and hissing, “ _He_ framed me and then he _murdered my teammates,_ members of _my pack_.”

Her anger deflated into sorrow and she wailed, “I don’t even know what happened to Hachi - or if my family even believes I’m _innocent_ !” She shut her eyes, beginning to purr as she curled back into a partial ball, tears and sobs were still escaping, and she _mewled_ , “I can’t go _home_.”

Akira couldn’t say anything to that, so he didn’t and simply stayed beside her in hopefully a comforting way. He couldn’t even begin to know what she was feeling or even going through. He had died before the destruction of Uzushio, and even though he had that rage for it, he didn’t feel it as strongly as those who had died protecting their _home_ and way of life. To be framed by someone inside her home, and branded traitor? That must have been the ultimate betrayal for her. And then to find out her teammates were killed as well, and no idea what happened to her twin?

He couldn’t even begin to fathom it.

He had died before his sister had, and she had joined him in haunting the ruins of their homeland; and he knew she was hoping her husband or child would come back so she could see them one last time. But it was a hopeless desire.

Akira stared down at the trembling ball of what was technically his great-granddaughter, and wondered. Maybe it wasn’t such a hopeless desire anymore. She could see all of them after all.

The sun had disappeared entirely, leaving only a few rays behind, as night began to truly take hold when Shuukaku finally stopped her crying, her trembling slowly coming to a stop. “I’m gonna kill him,” she muttered, looking at him with burning eyes filled with a righteous fury and determination.

He stared back at her, keeping her gaze, and then grinned, “Good.”

Shuukaku stood slowly, heedless to the grime in her hair and coating her hands and knees. “I need to find some paper,” she mumbled, rubbing her forehead and smearing some dirt across it in the process. Akira quirked an eyebrow in silent questioned, and she grinned at him tiredly, “If I’m gonna give everyone a proper burial I need paper to make the seals I’m thinking about.”

If anything the red haired ghost only looked confused. “Why do you need paper?” he asked. No Uzumaki needed _paper_ to make their seals. What was Hikaru-chan _teaching_ his children and grandchildren?

Shuukaku looked back at him, equally confused. “To write my seals on?” she returned, befuddled.

It was very hard not to gape at her. “How long have you been using seals?” he demanded, nearly sputtering.

She furrowed her eyebrows at him in irritation, “I’ve been learning them for _years_!”

“And you still use _paper_?” Akira sputtered incredulously. “What about all the seals on your skin?”

Shuukaku huffed indignantly, “I transferred them with paper! I reapply them after a certain amount of uses.”

He looked horrified. “ _Uzumaki’s don’t need paper for seals_ ,” he cried, waving his arms around furiously. “Hikaru-chan _knows_ that! He should’ve taught you the Uzumaki Sealing _years_ ago! Paper is for _beginners_!” Shuukaku stared at him blankly. Her mind slowly connecting the dots.

She sighed, “ _Jiji_ gave up the Uzumaki name, Akira-san.” He stared back at her, obviously wondering what that had to do with anything. She rolled her eyes at him. “ _Jiji_ won’t say it, but he felt that in giving up his name, he gave up the right to those techniques too. We don’t _know_ , because _he_ believes he doesn’t have a right to teach it. Especially since he didn’t take the name up again after the destruction of Uzushio. _Jiji_ has a lot of guilt.”

Akira’s anger over his student’s supposed oversight popped like a balloon. Hikaru had always been like that. Shouldering the blame for things, and believing in the right to things. Still, that didn’t mean he was _right_ . Nodding to himself, he said firmly, “Then it is _my_ duty to teach you the way of _Uzumaki Sealing_ . Forsaking the name of Uzumaki or not, you are _still_ an Uzumaki by blood, and have that right.”

“ _Really_ ?” Shuukaku breathed, eyes shining with excitement. She _loved_ seals, and the promise of learning even more? She was _ecstatic_.

Akira grinned back at her, and then waved his hands at her, “Y _es_ , but you need rest first. So, g _o_.” She pouted at him, but obeyed, loping back to her little niche to sleep.

 

**|**

 

 **Shuukaku** cracked her eyes open, vision blurry and mind fuzzy, the last vestiges of her dream ( _nightmare_ ) fading fast. A face was leaning over her own, a piercing expression evident and a cascade of red locks was curtaining the far too familiar and far too _missed_ face. “Kushina-bachan...?” she mumbled, voice childishly young.

The eyes widened, and a cultured voice breathed, “You know my dear Kushina?”

Memories rushed back, and Shuukaku bolted up right, cradling her head in her hands and letting out a low keen. Her shoulders trembled violently for a minute, before she could reign herself and her emotions back under control. Taking a deep breath, the young shinobi turned to look at the ghost. The vibrant coloring her mind had tricked her into seeing was faded into dull tones, but the woman still had the same face shape as Kushina and achingly familiar eyes.

Shuukaku found it hard to breath.

There were notable differences of course, now that her vision was cleared and her mind wide awake. The hair was tied up into twin buns, with waves of hair curling down her shoulders and back, and hairsticks decorating the buns. Her lips were painted with color, and she had seal marks on her face, two curling lines from her ears under her eyes, and a diamond shape on her forehead and in the hollow of her throat.

“You know my dear Kushina?” the ghost repeated, a quiet sort of desperation in her voice.

Shuukaku swallowed hard, tears burning in the back of her eyes. “I-” she choked. “I- _knew_ Kushina-bachan.” The wound of Kushina’s death was still fresh, even after three years, but she knew that Hachi’s pain was even worse. Kushina had been their Jonin sensei, and had taken to calling her Kaa-sensei, so Shuukaku had taken up calling her _bachan_.

“N _o_ ,” the woman whispered, voice cracking.

Shuukaku looked at her with desperate eyes and gasped out, “ _I’m sorry_ .” The light seemed to dim out of the woman’s eyes, and Shuukaku felt _terrible_.

“Keiko,” Akira’s voice suddenly said lowly, appearing at the other ghost’s elbow, touching it gently. “There is still hope.”

Shuukaku stared, pieces slowly clicking into place. Akira and _Keiko_ looked eerily similar, and there was no way the two _weren’t_ related. Even the seal markings on their faces were identical, though Keiko’s were longer and had an additional line, and Akira was missing the diamonds.

“My _baby’s dead_ , Akira,” Keiko bit out harshly, eyes narrowing at the man dangerously. “There _is no hope anymore_.”

Akira looked like he was floundering for something to say, and Shuukaku couldn’t help but blurt out, “She had a baby!” The two turned to look at her in unison, and the teen’s fingers twitched nervously. Swallowing roughly, the redhead repeated, “She had a baby. Naruto. He’s turning four this year. He’s blond like his dad, but he got _all_ of Kushina-bachan’s energy and temperament. He-he has these whisker marks on his cheeks that make him look even more adorable than he already is - and - and -”

Her voice left her, and she was irritated by the tears that were threatening to escape _again_ . Hadn’t she cried _enough_?

But Naruto - _poor poor koneko_ \- she couldn’t think about it.

Akira was looking at her with something unrecognizable, and Keiko was staring with a pained kind of wonder. “A son?” she murmured, mostly to herself.

“Haruki’s out there somewhere, too, Keiko,” Akira murmured, touching his sister’s cheek with his fingertips, tracing one of the seal lines.

Shuukaku had few memories of Kushina talking about her immediate family - and _Jiji_ certainly hadn’t talked about Uzushio very often - but she knew the name Haruki. It had been one of those rare solemn moments for Kushina, and she had mumbled the story of her mother’s death, and that her father had vanished after sending her to Konohagakure. She had never heard from him again, and could only assume he had perished like so many others during the destruction.

“...He’s alive?” Shuukaku asked gently. The siblings shared a long look, before nodding and the young shinobi latched onto the fact with an iron grip. When she returned back to the Elemental Nations, she would look for Kushina’s father as well. She owed the woman _that_ much, since she couldn’t look after her son anymore.

“Oya, oya, what’s going on over here, hmm?” Shuukaku turned to the new speaker, not even surprised when it was _another_ ghost. However, this one had silvery white hair that reminded her rather strongly of the Hatake Clan, and stormy eyes. He was wearing a wide headband detailed with a wave pattern, and had a large hoop in one ear, as well as a stud under his lip. He kind of reminded her of a stereotypical pirate, if she were to be honest.

Beside him, though, was another ghost, this one female. She had aristocratic looks reminiscent of the Uchiha, with long, dark hair that had random pieces braided, but her eyes were a pale color, and curved like those of Sunagakure. She also had seal tattoos on her face, curved lines and dots going down from her forehead and over her left eye, and waved lines marking her bottom lip and chin. “Sansai,” she murmured, voice clear despite the low tone, and cultured like Keiko’s.

Akira’s face brightened up considerably, and he crowed delightedly, “Izumi! Sansai! My adorable little students! Come meet Hikaru-chan’s granddaughter!”

Sansai’s face turned utterly gleeful in the way only an older sibling gaining blackmail on a younger one could, whereas Izumi looked faintly horrified. “Oh man! Hikaru procreated? That’s so great!” Sansai was suddenly in her face, a wide, shark-like smile on his face. “Tell me, is he all old and wrinkled? Like a goat! I bet his bald head is even more hideous now!”

Shuukaku stared blankly long enough for the group to get a bit uncomfortable, before a wicked smile twisted her face, canines glinting dangerously in the morning light. “Oh no,” she started with a purr, making Akira give her an alarmed look. “His bald head isn’t _hideous_ . It _shines_.”

Izumi’s lips twitched the slightest bit, giving away her humor, while Sansai jerked back like he had been burned, gaping unattractively. Satisfied, Shuukaku turned to Akira and demanded, “You said you were going to teach me how to seal the Uzumaki way.”

The red haired ghost raised his hands in a placating gesture, “Yes, yes.” Thankfully, the rest of the group was quiet on the fact that _Hikaru’s_ granddaughter didn’t know how to seal the Uzumaki way, when it was obvious she was rather proficient in the way of sealing. He curled his legs into a seated position, even though he still hovered feet off the ground, and began to lecture.

“The Uzumaki Sealing begins and _ends_ with _blood_ . Blood is life and chakra, and _death_ . Blood is the gateway to everything and anything. Every Uzumaki draws their seals with their blood, and even the smallest drop can be the greatest weapon. However, as easy as it sounds, it’s not. Blood isn’t just blood, it’s also chakra, and Uzumaki chakra is _unique_.”

As Akira continued his lesson, Shuukaku could feel the truth and _rightness_ to the methods spoken. The concepts easily slotted together in her mind, and it suddenly made sense why some of her seals were never as strong as she had made them out to be. She had used her blood in sealing before, but never just by itself. She had always mixed it with ink, which she now knew, diluted the power of an Uzumaki’s blood.

It explained so much, and the new knowledge made her eager to begin her first project.

She would give the people of Uzushio the best damn burial the whole world had ever seen. With a new determination she set about gathering the bodies once more, all the while planning her project. Akira trailed after her, smugly satisfied. His two students followed behind, but his sister, looked thoughtful as she floated away in an entirely different direction.

“Sensei,” Izumi started, but paused, unsure if she should even ask.

Sansai had no such reservations, asking bluntly, “What the hell is she even doing here? And how can she even _see_ us?”

Their sensei’s face was deadly serious when he turned to them. “Shuukaku-chan is here because she was framed and branded traitor by her village. Hikaru-chan gave up the Uzumaki name, so I can only assume she came here, because no one would ever think _to_ look here. How she can see us? I haven’t the faintest idea.”

Izumi frowned, watching the young shinobi ( _she couldn’t be any older than_ fifteen) determinedly unbury the skeletons of their fallen people. She had died before Kiri and Kumo had razed Uzushio to ruins, but Sansai had died protecting the village from that very attack. Hikaru had left before the massacre, and she was still bitter over the fact he hadn’t kept in contact with any of them.

Sansai hadn’t been the same after his own death. He had been filled with rage and pain, and it had taken a while before he had calmed down enough to act even remotely like his old self. His fury had been tempered, but it still lurked beneath the surface. It showed in the new razor sharp edge to his smile and jokes, and his more ruthless nature. And she couldn’t begrudge him of that. He had lost his only child in the destruction, and his only consolation was that he had wiped out an entire fleet of Kiri invaders in retaliation.

The other side of the coin, however, was in the fact that he mourned his people and village deeply.

“Ah, that was Murai,” Sansai murmured. “He took out a team of Kumo in defense of his Genin Team. Unfortunately, one of the Kumo bastards set off a high explosive tag and they were all killed. His team was Sadayoshi, Yoshikazu, and Kinuye.”

Shuukaku looked up at him through her bangs, eyes solemn, before carefully drawing out a brush and some ink, and gently painting the names on the skulls. “Do you remember everyone?” she asked cautiously, not looking up from her task.

Sansai eyed her shrewdly, before answering curtly, “Yes.”

“Good,” the redhead murmured quietly. “It’ll make the burial better.”

 

**|**

 

**_Year 104 - May 25 - Uzushiogakure Ruins - Whirlpool Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **With** Sansai’s help, and some of the other more aware ghosts, Shuukaku was able to find all of the bodies and bring them to the center plaza, where she had found the scroll. She had stored all the remains in sealed scrolls, careful to label each scroll with every name of every shinobi in that scroll. It had led to many sleepless nights, but she was determined, and Akira could rarely cajole her into getting any rest.

Shuukaku had questioned Keiko in the death rights of Uzushio, and had prepared her seal project in accordance with the ways. And finally, everything was in place, and she could finally ( _hopefully_ ) wash some of the grief and pain and rage away from the ruins.

She began with the rising of the sun. Her chakra practically _sang_ as she started the traditional dance. She closed her eyes as she slowly made her way into the center of the plaza, following the path of the spiral. With every step she laid the scrolls holding the dead down, the array of red scrolls making the stones beneath come _alive_.

Unknown to the redhead, the stones of the ruins were beginning to glow with the light of an Uzumaki. It had been so long since a living Uzumaki had touched the ruins of Uzushio in a traditional way, and not simply the rivers of blood from the massacre.

So underneath her feet Uzushio began to _sing_.

She touched the center of the swirl, placing the last scroll which contained the skeleton of the Fourth Uzukage, who had died the last man standing and with the ferocity of a storm god, before kneeling. Eyes still closed, she let her chakra snake away from her fingers, and to the astonishment of the ghosts watching, painted a seal with only her chakra.

The seal spread out from under her in a magnificent array of glowing blue. Sansai stared, shocked. “She - she wrote _all_ of their names in the seal,” he choked out, tracing his own name with his eyes, and then locking onto his son’s, Arashimoto Tetsuya. Izumi linked their hands together, grip tight, and visibly fighting back tears.

Each and every name had obviously been written with painstaking care and reverence, and resonated within every ghost haunting the ruins. It gave a sense of peace and tranquility, soothing the pain and terror that had been all they had since the destruction.

“Rest your weary soul,

Be at peace,” Shuukaku murmured gently, stretching her seal out as far as it could possibly go. Unseen, it stretched to its full breadth, covering the entirety of Uzushio, and creating an eerie glow on the water between the islands. The glow of chakra grew to blinding proportions, cloaking the ruins in a hazy brightness, that many took note of, and began to _fear_.

Slowly, Shuukaku tapered off what she was giving the seal, and with it, the scrolls sank into the plaza, becoming one with Uzushio. “Th _ank you_ ,” Sansai choked out, reaching out and touching his translucent hands to her own, giving back just how thankful he truly was to her.

She opened her eyes, blinking them slowly as if coming out of a trance, and kept their gazes locked. “They deserve their peace after all this time,” she finally murmured quietly, exhaustion slowly creeping in.

“And you need _rest_ ,” Akira ordered tightly, but his eyes said it all. Shuukaku could only grin at him, before her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed.

 

**|**

 

 **“You** beautiful, beautiful girl,” Sansai grinned cheerily, when the redhead had woken up from her exhausted nap. Shuukaku stretched out like feline, a pleased rumble escaping her lips. She grinned cheekily back at him, a satisfied feeling settling deep inside.

“Is the seal supposed to be visible?” Izumi asked curiously, crouched down near one of the painted names and tracing it lightly with her finger. It was her brother’s name: Haroushi Yakumo.

Shuukaku blinked, rolling her shoulders and circulating chakra through her body to get rid of the lingering stiffness and tiredness. “Ah,” she answered. “Yes. It’s a memorial. It’s supposed to last for as long as an Uzumaki lives. Even the smallest amount of a trace in someone, will be enough for it to survive.” Akira stared at her thoughtfully, and Sansai looked like he was about to start crying all over again.

“Shuukaku-chan,” Keiko said, as she appeared on the edges of the plaza, a narrowed eyed look to her face that made the young shinobi stand up to attention immediately. “You need information to thoroughly destroy the one who framed you, yes?”

Shuukaku’s face went icy cold, but there was a furious storm brewing in her eyes that belied her rage. “Yes. I was going to stay here long enough for the rumor of my being dead settle before setting out to gather intelligence,” she said back, voice deceptively flat.

Keiko opened a fan and hid her face behind it with a soft hum. Akira eyed his sister, wondering just what she was planning. After a moment, the woman ordered, “Come. I will teach you a seal.”

In the blink of an eye, the cold expression vanished from Shuukaku’s face, and she trotted after Keiko with a cheery, “Yes, Uzumaki-sama!”

“Shuukaku-chan, you are family of my dear Kushina, you _must_ call me obaachan!” Keiko returned lightly, completely at odds with her rather regal bearing.

“Yes, _obaachan_ ,” Shuukaku parroted back easily, a slight sing-song to her tone. Akira could only stare after the two in amusement.

Sansai floated over next to him, an unreadable look on his face, “She certainly makes things interesting doesn’t she?”

Akira tucked his hands in his sleeves, a guileless smile on his face and simply hummed in response, “She does indeed.”

Sansai grunted, biting back words. Trouble would no doubt follow after the young shinobi, as it was wont to do to those bearing the Uzumaki blood. He had the feeling that things were a lot more than just _interesting_ in regards to Shuukaku, and it wasn’t just being framed as a traitor. Something else was going on and somehow - _somehow_ \- he had the feeling she was the sort that dragged all sorts of nasty and dark truths into the light.

Whether or not that would be a good thing, remained to be seen.

Izumi joined them, and made the motion to follow after the other two woman, and Sansai pasted a smile on his face, and laughed. “I wonder what Keiko-sama is going to teach her. Any ideas, _sensei_?” the pale haired man asked cheerily, eyes squinting with his grin.

Akira shot him a look and a sharp smile, “Oh I have a vague idea.” The three ghost began trailing after the two, and when they caught up with them it was too Keiko explaining the kind of seal she was going to be teaching the redhead.

Izumi groaned, “Oh _no_.”

“Oh _yes_ ,” Sansai returned, grin turning rather feral.

The markings on Keiko’s and Akira’s faces were in fact seals, but they were a part of a two-part seal and that seal was one for _eavesdropping_. You planted one half of the seal somewhere you wanted to listen in on, and linked it to the seal on your face connected to your ears, and you could be on the other side of the country and be hearing news from some remote bar on the other end.

Shuukaku was nodding along to Keiko’s explaining, and when the older woman had finished, she commented, “There’s a jutsu similar to this, though it technically only links certain people together. I wonder if I could write the seal as a kind of radio thing, or something...” The teen trailed off, before a look of dawning comprehension and unholy glee lit up her face. She turned glittering eyes over to Keiko, who merely blinked mildly back at her. “ _Obaachan_ , you gotta teach me the seal! I could test it out on one of the villages I go to get food!”

Much to all of their surprise, the redhead picked the seal up rather quickly, and had even modified it slightly (though really, Akira mused, she _had_ written a seal with purely her chakra. Was it any surprise she could do something like _this_?). It was with a wicked smirk that Shuukaku painted the seal link to her face, starting from her ear, and curving it up and along her eyelid. Sansai stared a little at that. The girl had drawn the lines effortlessly and without looking at any kind of reflective surface. Izumi looked a little jealous at that.

“Right! I’m gonna go try it out in Yokaze! I’ll be back sometime tomorrow!”

And she was gone, a giddy bounce in her step.

The four stared out after her, a little befuddled by her exuberance. “I feel like we might’ve just unleashed something unholy on innocent people,” Sansai said flatly. Izumi could only shake her head, looking baffled, while Akira had a nostalgic grin on his face. Keiko only looked smugly proud.

Shuukaku landed at Yokaze in nearly record time, waving cheerily at the fishermen at the docks. The men all waved back good naturedly. The small village on the Yokaze Island was one that was protected by the ruins of Uzushio, and was as such overlooked by many of the main countries, and many of the smaller ones too. It was one that remembered Uzushio in all of its glory, but was also one that could only watch in dismay as it was razed to the ground.

Akira had mentioned it too her, when it became evident she needed somewhere to go to get food, but also somewhere she wouldn’t be _recognized_ or reported in. The people had welcomed her gladly, easily recognizing an Uzumaki, and more than willing to enfold her in their community. “Uzumaki-chan!” a cheery voice called out.

Shuukaku turned to the old woman excitedly, bouncing over to her and offering her arm. “Umeki-san! How are you?” she greeted warmly, helping her cross the road and into the bustling market set up in the town’s square.

Umeki Tokie patted the girl’s hand gently, and smiled back at her, “Oh just fine, dearie. And you? I don’t suppose you know anything about that lightshow this morning, hmm?”

The redhead rubbed the back of her neck and hummed. “I finally did the burial,” she answered quietly. Tokie was one of the few elders left that still vividly remembered Uzushio, the younger generation having been either too young to remember, or not even born yet.

The old woman’s eyes went sorrowful, and she patted Shuukaku’s hand again, “That’s good, Uzumaki-chan.” Shuukaku smiled, and the topic was put behind them as they went about the market to do shopping. It was during that trip, however, that the shinobi planted the second half of her seal. The small seal was a simple swirl of ink, but the swirl itself was written kanji, so tightly knit it looked like a simple brush of ink. It was innocuous and simply looked like a brush of dirt.

She planted it on one of the beams of one of the buildings near the center plaza, and a simple speck of her chakra activated it. It was only because of her training with Inoichi-sensei that she didn’t flat out screech in surprise. Instead she winced mildly, and slowly tried to filter the sudden white noise in her ears and head into something recognizable. With a twist of her chakra, the noise slowly came out of static and became actual words.

“ _Uzumaki-chan is back again.”_

_“Did you hear? She did the burial!”_

_“Oh, is that what those lights were?”_

_“There’s been some shinobi sightings in our fishing grounds recently.”_

_“Should we even ask? She’s just a girl!”_

_“And in hiding - she shouldn’t bring attention to herself.”_

_“Well - what about the legends of the ghosts of Uzushio?”_

_“Did you hear? Yumi-chan had her baby last night!”_

_“But kaa-san!!”_

Outloud, Shuukaku hummed, and then asked idly, “Has then been any trouble lately, Umeki-san?” She glanced over at the old woman, cataloguing the way she frowned and the corners of her eyes tightened. Huh. So it was probably true. But what shinobi? Kirigakure? or Konohagakure hunter teams?

“Fools!” Tokie barked, glowering irritably at nothing, before turning to look at her with a stubborn look.  “It’s nothing you need to worry about, Uzumaki-chan! It’s nothing we Yokaze folk can’t handle! You’re in hiding and don’t need any attention brought to you.” The old woman nodding firmly, and looked satisfied when she caught some of the guilty looks on the faces of some of the villagers around them.

“Maa, maa, Umeki-san,” Shuukaku soothed gently. “If it escalates at all, _tell me_. There are ways I can help without bringing attention to myself. There’s no need for you all to get in trouble, when I can help you just as easily.”

Tokie huffed, but didn’t disagree.

When night fell on the island, Shuukaku slipped away, in full stealth mode. She had never promised she _wouldn’t_ look into the situation. She needed to be sure the village would be safe, and that _she_ would be just as safe. She moved across the still ocean, barely a passing shadow and chakra suppressed to the lowest possible point. It wasn’t long before she came across the supposed shinobi in the fishing grounds. They were in the stealth boats of Kirigakure, and Shuukaku felt her constant simmering rage flare violently.

_How dare Kirigakure shinobi come so close to Uzushio._

A feral smile slithered across her face, and she activated a simple illusion seal. Her relatively short locks grew down her back, and a subtle glow surrounded her body, while her feet faded into wispy tendrils. Her eyes turned a flaming red color and fangs poked out of her mouth as her features twisted into the rage that was bubbling to the surface.

Partially slipping out of stealth mode, she whispered ominously, letting her voice bounce and echo around them, “ _You would dare trespass in Whirlpool Waters, Kiri shinobi? After what you did?_ ” She stepped closer to the ships, letting the glow twist around her in angry tendrils and letting the color turn an angry red. Her “hair” fluttered about her form, imitating the hilarious and terrifying memories of an angry Kushina.

The Kiri shinobi were gaping at her, and one was frantically trying to dispel a genjutsu, but her seal stayed true. “ _What do you have to say for yourselves?_ ” she growled, leaking out some of Ghost’s feral killing intent twisted with her own _human_ killing intent. It had been a trick she’d discovered early on in her genin career. A predator’s killing intent of ‘ _I will kill you_ ’ mixed with a human’s killer intent of ‘ _I could kill you_ ’ made for an interesting effect on people.

All of the shinobi paled dramatically, and one even whimpered, curling up into a little ball. “Uhhh,” one said intelligently.

Another one, however, seemed to overcome her killer intent somewhat and snarled, “It ain’t Whirlpool Waters anymore, bitch! Uzushiogakure no longer exists! It has no claim to anything anymore!” One of his companions whipped his head towards the speaker, gaping wordlessly and looking like he dearly wanted to smack some sense into him.

It took no effort to twist her face in a deeper rage as it was the truth. Fury had spiked dangerously and it saturated the very air, her killing intent flowing out like a tidal wave and slamming into the shinobi. Underneath her, the seal she had made that very morning for the burial lit up like a beacon, crackling with chakra. Words escaped her, and instead she howled her rage, lunging for them with a ferocity that had a couple of the shinobi screaming shrilly.

The waves beneath them began to churn restlessly, and Shuukaku unsheathed her blade, preparing to slaughter these _fools_ , but suddenly had a better idea. A wickedly dangerous smile that was more of a baring of her fangs than an actual smile slashed across her face. “ _Leave and never return, or I’ll slaughter you all like you did my people,_ scum _,_ ” she hissed.

“Y-you’re l-lying!” one of the shinobi stuttered, drawing out a kunai as if to attack. Before he could even move, Shuukaku was there, and his head was flying through the air.

She turned menacing red eyes to the rest of the group and ordered again, “ _Leave_.”

They left.

 

**|**

 

 **“You’re** looking rather chipper, Shuukaku-chan,” Akira observed in silent question when the teen returned from her trip to Yokaze, burdened by groceries.

She grinned at him with all her teeth and he eyed her warily. “I scared the fucking _shit_ out of some Kiri shinobi last night!” she chirped brightly, putting all of her goodies away. Sansai opened his eyes from where he had been “napping” in the air.

“Good girl,” he muttered. “Kill them all next time.”

Shuukaku gave him a rather feral look and purred, “Can’t kill all of them if I want them too terrified to ever step foot near Uzushio again.”

Izumi raised an eyebrow and asked, not sure if she actually wanted the answer, “What did you do?”

“Se _cret_ ~,” the redhead sang, before she snagged the scroll she had found and strapped it to her back. “I’m gonna go exploring some more, so see you all later!” Waving at them she  bounced out and over the building, landing into one of the crevices between some pillars and another building.

When she had been digging up all the bones, she had noticed a half buried entryway to some kind of underground hallway, and now that she had time, she wanted to investigate. It had been one of the parts of Uzushio that had called out to her, much like the plaza had when she’d first arrived. Considering she had found a scroll with the history of Uzumaki and Uzushio in it, as well as other things, she was more than willing to follow after it.

It was around noon when she finally found the buried hallway again, and unconcerned by any possible danger, wiggled her way in. Blue foxfire flickered to life as she began making her way down the hall, which led to a set of stairs going down. She made her way down the stairs, which seemed to go on forever, before that stopped in front of a blank wall.

“Hohh,” she hummed, eyeing the wall curiously. There was the faintest marks on indention, that maybe at one time were deep grooves, but had now been weathered away to barely anything. Following her instincts, Ghost making curious chuffing noises in the back of her mind, she pressed her finger to the start of the indentations, letting a tendril of chakra snake out. She traced the pattern, revealing it to be a seal, but she had more or less expected it considering it _was_ Uzushio.

As her chakra filled the last of the seal, there was a breathless moment before with a great groan, a crack appeared neatly down the middle and slowly the wall creaked open. A gust of stale, _cold_ air escaped along with a cloud of dust, that had her sneezing loudly. Rubbing her nose and squinting into the darkness, she carefully stepped forward. As soon as she passed the threshold of the door, blue foxfire burst to life all around the room.

It was a circular room, with a single pedestal in the middle of the room with two swords displayed on top. Swords she recognized from _Jiji_ ’s stories. They were the swords of the first official Uzukage, Uzumaki Ashina.

She squealed.

“Wh _at the fuck_ was that?” a voice yelped, and Shuukaku spun towards the voice, placing her back against the wall and hovering her hands over the handle of her sword. She blinked, wondering why she thought it could’ve been anything else. It was another ghost. When exactly had her life become a haunted one?

She coughed, “Sorry, that was me.”

The ghost turned, and she kind of wished she was anywhere but there at that exact moment. Floating in front of her was the Fourth Uzukage, Uzumaki Kaito. He had a wild mane of fiery red hair that had bleached streaks through it, and a pair of intense violet eyes, that were _staring right at her_. She swallowed a whimper.

“And _who_ are you?” he asked, floating closer and slipping his hands in his sleeves, much like Akira did. He leaned forward, face intensely curiously.

She coughed, “Kita Shuukaku, Uzukage-sama.”

His eyes narrowed and he leaned back, pulling a hand out of his sleeve and instead hiding the lower half of his face with his sleeve. “How did you come here?” he demanded, tone steely.

“Uhm, I traced the seal on the door with my chakra?” she trailed off into a startled squeak when he moved in close, face inches away from her own. His eyes were tracing her face with a rather disturbing intensity, and she kind of wished she wasn’t a teenage girl.

“I suppose you do have _some_ Uzumaki features,” he grumbled.

She swallowed roughly and offered, “My grandfather was an Uzumaki.”

If anything his stare grew even more intense, and he questioned with a deceptively light tone, “And what are you doing here, Kita Shuukaku, granddaughter of an Uzumaki?”

She could’ve said _anything_ , but instead of any of those more reasonable ones, she blurted out, “Uzushio led me here.” The widening of his eyes wasn’t nearly worth the amount of embarrassment that burned through her. Ghost was absolutely _no help_ , simply purring contentedly in the back of her mind.

Whatever reaction she expected, it wasn’t the loud burst of laughter from the ghost. Kaito clutched at his stomach, and when he finally regained control of himself he snorted, “She’s a wily one, isn’t she?” Shuukaku could only nod mutely. _What_. “Come, take the blades and I shall teach you how to wield them,” he ordered, waving his hand at the blades.

She couldn’t really do anything but obey.

Akira stared when Shuukaku finally returned from where ever she had run off too. Trailing behind her was the ghost of the Uzukage, and in her hands were the legendary blades of Uzumaki Ashina. “You were gone for _two_ hours,” he groaned.

“Wow, you’re really living up to the Uzumaki name, Shuukaku-chan,” Sansai said, sounding more impressed than he had any right to be. Shuukaku wrinkled her nose at him, letting out an irritated hiss. Kaito was staring at her again, and it was sending shivers crawling up and down her spine. Giving him a suspicious stare, she slinked over to Akira, half hiding behind him, even though he was transparent.

“I don’t think even Hikaru got up to this much trouble,” Izumi muttered.

Shuukaku pouted at them, “Says you. Hachi gets into more trouble than me.” Which was a complete and utter bald face lie, but they didn’t know that.

“I don’t believe it,” Akira responded promptly.

“Nuh uh,” Sansai repeated, flapping a hand.

“Yeah,” Izumi deadpanned. “No.”

She glowered at them, huffing and spat, “Assholes.” They all gave her flat stares. She stuck her tongue out at them.

“Akira-san,” Kaito interrupted, easily pulling all attention back on him. He waved a hand at Shuukaku, and raised an eyebrow deliberately.

Akira coughed into a hand, before he tucked them away out of sight and said, “She’s my student, Hikaru’s, granddaughter. He gave up the Uzumaki name when he married her grandmother, and goes by Oden Hikaru now. Shuukaku-chan was framed and branded traitor by her village and is staying in Uzushio in the meantime.”

Kaito narrowed his eyes, and set them on Shuukaku, who felt another shiver crawl down her spine. The man was very intense and it was not something she was used to. Inoichi-sensei had been a subtle intensity, Kaito was a very much in your face intense. “Framed?” he questioned sharply.

The all too familiar rage flared violently and she snarled, lips pulling back over her teeth and baring them at him, eyes flashing gold. It didn’t matter he was a Kage, he was dead, and she would never get rid of her rage until Danzo was _dead_ . “Y _es_ ,” she hissed venomously. “ _Framed_.”

If anything he stared even harder at her, looking like she was a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve. “By whom?” he asked, tone deceptively mild.

Her fingers flexed, claws digging into the soft flesh of her palm, and the gold began spreading out to the whites of her eyes, Ghost prowling forward with a dangerous growl. “Shimura _Danzo_ ,” she finally managed to grit out, hair bristling much like an angered cat.

Kaito hummed, “He was...Hiruzen’s rival, yes?”

Shuukaku scoffed, the tone rather guttural. “Not friendly anymore,” she spat, hackles rising. She didn’t want to talk about this. Not now, when it was still fresh. She was more likely to go on a mindless massacre, than anything else. Kaito was suddenly in her face, and she leapt back violently, landing in a crouch with her back arched, and fingers digging into the ground. “What the _fuck_ is your problem with _personal space_?” she snarled viciously.

“You are feline like,” he said instead of answering her question. “Why?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, anger calming a little at the non sequitur. She slowly relaxed from her crouch, sitting back on her haunches, and replying suspiciously, “Its a _kekkei genkai_ from _kaa_ _san_. I have a feline alter ego named Ghost.”

“Hmm,” was the Uzukage’s only response. She simply narrowed her eyes at him even further. Akira looked utterly fascinated by the fact she had an alter ego, but knew better to ask, even though it looked like he was _dying_ to know.  Kaito clapped his hands suddenly, and chimed, “Well then, let’s begin training then!”

Shuukaku wondered if she should’ve just gotten lost in the Wind Country deserts instead.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**DEFUNCT**

[dih- **fuhngkt** ]

_ adjective _

1\. no longer in effect or use; not operating or functioning

2\. no longer in existence; dead; extinct

**|**

**Summary:** You never know when an Uzumaki will cause chaos.  _ [I got better.] _

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Humor

**Warning (s):** crack level humor taken seriously; what-if scenarios; ninjas; violence/gore; unhealthy coping mechanisms; skewed morality; endangerment of minors; alteration of canon events; minor angst; historical bullshit; technical bullshit; other things I can’t think of off the top of my head right now

  
  


**|**

_ Chapter Three _ : The Uzumaki Ghost

**|**

 

**_Year 104 - March 30 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

**Kei** glowered at the matron of the orphanage, fingers twitching to pull out a kunai and just slit the woman’s throat, consequences be damned. It had taken her a couple of weeks before she could start undermining the leaders of her village in regards to Uzumaki Naruto, and now that she was finally here? Well. She hadn’t been to happy to find out that the  _ chibi _ was being neglected in way of affection and care. 

“Are you fucking stupid?” the blue haired kunoichi snarled, before slashing her hand through the air and cutting off whatever response the woman was going to make. “Take me to him.” The matron huffed, crossing her arms, and obviously gearing up for a fight, but stopped cold at the flash of killer intent from Kei. “ _ Now _ ,” she hissed, taking a threatening step forward. 

Lip trembling, the matron turned on her heel and stormed in the direction of the back of the orphanage. It was becoming evident that the orphanage only did the bare minimum in regards to Naruto, supplying him with the necessities, but nothing further. He was kept away from the other kids without the threat of Nishiki raining hellfire down on them, and was shoved away in the farthest room possible. 

Kei felt her irritation grow even further when they finally reached the room they were keeping Naruto in. The room was completely bare, with only a couple of mismatched building blocks, and a small, ratty mattress, and a few books that had water stains and pages torn out. The  _ chibi _ was sitting in the middle of the room, fiddling with the blocks and drooping in a way that didn’t suit the ball of sunshine in the least. Whatever thin strand of patience Kei had left, snapped. 

“Le _ ave _ ,” she snarled at the matron, not even waiting for her to move, before shoving her out of the way and slamming the door shut behind her. She didn’t give a damn anymore if the fucking Hokage banned her from seeing the  _ chibi _ . She was going to see him no matter what. This was  _ deplorable _ . 

Naruto startled at the sound of the door slamming shut, and spun clumsily around, with wide, panicked eyes. If anything, Kei’s anger grew even worse, and she had to choke back a flurry of foul words. She clenched her jaw and breathed through her nose deeply. Ignoring the way the  _ chibi _ was eyeing her nervously, she plopped herself down on the floor across from him, and stared. 

“I don’t suppose you remember me?” she drawled dryly, not really expecting him to remember her. She hadn’t been a frequent of a visitor, unlike Hachi, Sushi, or Shuu, even though she  _ had _ been in relationship with Nishiki. The stray thought sent a stabbing pain through her chest, but she squashed it down viciously. Now wasn’t the  _ time _ .

Naruto squinted his eyes at her, making her almost positive she’d have to introduce herself all over again, when his face suddenly split in a large smile. Before she could react, he threw himself at her in a hug, shouting excitedly, “Kei-nee! You here!”

She stiffened at the contact, unsure how to react. What was she supposed to do? What had Nishiki done? Panicking, she flapped her hands around the kid nervously, but he seemed completely unperturbed, simply content to nuzzle his face in her stomach and threaten to break her ribs. She finally settled on just resting a hand on the fluffy mop of blonde hair, and muttered, “Yeah, I’m here,  _ chibi _ .” She would deny the affectionate smile on her face with her dying breath. 

“Kei-nee, where Nishi-nii?” Naruto mumbled after a while, still clutching her tightly, but mostly curled up in her lap with his face pressed against her stomach. 

She fought back the low whine that wanted to escape, and instead managed to choke out roughly, “Nishi-nii is- Nishi-nii had to go away for a long time.” Hachi had said that the Hokage wasn’t going to tell the  _ chibi _ Nishiki was dead, but she wasn’t -  _ couldn’t _ \- tell him that he would see Nishiki again. She wouldn’t tell the truth, but she wouldn’t outright  _ lie _ either. 

“Come back?” he asked innocently, and Kei’s breath hitched.

Awkwardly she hunched over him, wrapping her arms around him tightly, and burying her face in his back. “No,” she eventually choked out. “He’s not coming back,  _ chibi _ . I’m sorry.”

“Hachi-nee?” Naruto asked, confused and feeling a little lost. 

Kei made a low noise in her throat. Why had she been the one to come, why couldn’t Kiyoi come? She was much better at this emotional bullshit and kind words. “No Hachi-nee either, sorry.”

Naruto scrunched up his face, pushing away from her so he could set his chin on her shoulder, and bringing one hand up to pat her cheek. “Shuu-nee? Shi-nii?”

Kei’s lip trembled, and she clung tighter, position shifting as she buried her face in his hair instead. “No, n _ o, I’m sorry _ ,” she managed to choke out. “No, Shuu-nee or Shi-nii.” She inhaled his scent, a mix of sunshine and dirt and  _ child _ , and wished things were different. Anything was better than having to tell this little boy that he couldn’t see his family any more. “Just Kei-nee, now. Kiyoi-nee, too.”

Naruto’s lips trembled, and he started to bawl into her shoulder, chubby fingers twisting in her shirt and whole body trembling. She only tightened her embrace, rocking back and forth gently and actually wishing she could cry all over again. She didn’t know what she was  _ doing _ , damnit! She had no desire to have children of her own, and now she’d taken it upon herself to all but  _ adopt one _ .

The only thing she could do was hold the sobbing boy and repeat over and over again:

_ I’m sorry. _

 

**|**

 

**“You** will treat him fucking better, or  _ so help me _ the Hokage will need to find a new fucking orphanage matron,” Kei snarled lowly, glaring at the trembling woman venomously.

“But he’s the de-” the matron started, but was cut off by Kei getting in her face with her teeth bared, and eyes flashing. 

“I don’t see any fucking  _ demon _ here, but  _ you _ ,” she growled, fingers twitching to pull out one of her blades, but knowing she couldn’t actually outright attack a civilian. “Naruto is a  _ child _ .” Her killing intent spiked dangerously, pressing in on the matron, and making the woman look as if she were going to faint. Kei pulled back, scoffing and a sneer curling her lip. “I  _ will _ be back, and things had better have  _ turned around _ , do I make myself fucking  _ clear _ ?”

The matron shakily nodded, deathly pale, and Kei scoffed before leaving. She needed to go let off some steam before she actually  _ did  _ murder someone. Her chakra simmered under the surface of her skin, clawing at the edges and trying to get free and wreak havoc. She cast her senses out, searching for someone she knew and wouldn’t mind destroying a Training Ground. 

A bright signature brushed against the very edges of her range, and a feral smile stretched across her face, making the citizens around her flinch back and edge around her warily. Yes. He would do nicely. She hopped up onto the roofs, and made her way towards her intended sparring partner. 

Kei heard him before she even saw him, the shouts of YOUTH and SPRING echoing loudly. “Gai!” she called out, chakra spiking in anticipation. 

The older boy spun around with an enthusiastic smile, “Beautiful Kei!” His smile faltered, however, when he caught sight of her face, and a taste of her chakra, which had started leaking out, and was holding the acidic flavor of rage. “You are not feeling as youthful as you normally do, beautiful Kei,” he said seriously, slowly tapering off his katas. 

Kei’s smile sharpened and she returned cheerily, “You bet your fucking ass I’m not feeling  _ youthful _ , Gai. What are you going to fucking do about it?” 

Gai eyed her contemplatively. Out of all of the friends he had somehow managed to gather around him, the younger shinobi was one of the strangest. She  _ willingly  _ sought him out to have spars, something only his old genin teammates seemed willing to do (and even then it wasn’t often - and he was more than often the one to initiate them). Sometimes it was just a spar, but other times (like  _ now _ ) she found him to let off steam.

If he were to be honest he was a little bit in love with her for it. The regard she held for him - that she willingly sought him out despite his quirkiness - but he knew she was not the one that would make the blossom of love flourish. (and he had heard the news about Mikan-san - he would not be dishonorable and try to catch her on a “rebound” - what those two had held for each other had been a  _ beautiful _ example of the blossom of love)

“Come,” he responded, waving a hand at her as he slipped into a taijutsu stance. 

Her eyes lit up with an  _ unholy _ glee, and she shot forward, slamming into him with a force that told him more than she probably thought. Her chakra was flaring around her wildly, still with the bite of rage and fury, and her killing intent was leaking out in a dangerously rising level. The force she was putting behind her attacks spoke of her letting out some rather nasty pent up emotions, but that let Gai know why she had sought him out specifically, rather than Ibiki (who more often than not found himself her somewhat unwilling sparring partner). 

_ He _ could take her hits. Ibiki would have ended up with some rather nasty broken bones. He returned her hits, making her  _ work _ for it - because that was what she wanted -  _ needed _ \- and the sun had vanished behind the horizon, leaving the two to call off their spar with Gai having her pinned to the ground. She was panting heavily, chest heaving, but her chakra had finally calmed down back to its usual blistering heat. He peered down at her with serious eyes and asked, “Better?”

She closed her eyes and hummed. “Yes,” she answered, and he rolled off her, flopping back on the grass with an exaggerated whoosh of air. She choked out a somewhat bitter laugh, flinging an arm over her eyes, and trying to just  _ breathe _ . 

“Now what was the reason for your lack of youthful vigour, beautiful Kei?” he questioned, usual smile turned down in a frown. 

The shinobi was quiet, arm still covering her face, but her chakra had slipped and was getting the acidic bite back. “Is it wrong to despise the village you’ve sworn to protect? Even just a little?” she muttered after a beat, making Gai startle and an icy cold fear grip his throat. He made a vague noise, for once truly speechless. Her lips twisted and she continued, “The way they treat  _ him _ \- it’s - it’s  _ despicable _ ! They spit in the face of Minato’s sacrifice - as if he would allow such a thing to even occur!”

It took Gai a minute to connect the pieces and realize just what - or rather  _ who _ \- she was talking about. He could admit to being isolated from what had been going on in the village for the past three years, but he would’ve had to have been living under a rock to not notice the way the villagers (and even some  _ shinobi _ ) treated the young Jinchuriki. “Does the Hokage-?” he cut himself off abruptly when Kei suddenly rolled on top of him, fingers digging into the earth next to his head, and face twisted in a truly fearsome expression of righteous  _ fury _ .

“He can’t do anything worth  _ shit _ because of  _ certain people _ ,” she snarled, eyes narrowed dangerously and chakra threatening to boil over and creating an eerie halo around her body. 

And Gai realized that it was true. The council - especially the  _ civilian _ one - had probably tied the Hokage’s hands so tight he only had the slightest bit of leeway (Mikan-san being a prime example). No Clan would be able to take the child in without showing blatant favoritism, and no civilian family could be trusted with the truth. And no one shinobi could survive being a single parent. 

However, he knew Kei (had known and  _ trusted _ her best friend Shuukaku -  _ what had happened - she never would have betrayed the village _ ) and knew without a shadow of a doubt that she had a plan that would pull the rug out from under the civilian council, but also manage to include every major clan in Konoha, so none could claim favoritism. “So what are you going to do?” he asked instead, ignoring the fact she was still hovering over him, and her chakra was threatening to burn him. 

A frightening smile threatened to take over her face and she purred darkly, “Kidnap every single fucking clan heir in Konoha.”

He probably should have expected that. 

“You have my help if you are ever in need of it,” he announced solemnly. 

She blinked down at him, before snorting and heaving herself back to sit on her haunches, still over his thighs. He lifted himself up so he was resting on his elbows. He blinked at her in question and she shook her head. “You fucking ANBU don’t have any actual  _ time _ to help,” she huffed, ignoring his startled look (he had  _ no idea how she knew that - what the fu -  _ ). “But the sentiment is appreciated.”

Noting his somewhat scandalized look, she shot him a disbelieving look and said, “You realize I know  _ Panther _ , right? Not to mention Inu-chan isn’t exactly fucking  _ subtle _ .” 

Gai wasn’t quite sure how to respond and could only manage a rather weak, “So youthful.”

Kei’s eyes sharpened and she leaned forward abruptly, face close enough that if anyone had been watching it would look as if she were kissing him. “You had better be fucking careful,” she whispered menacingly, “Because if you die? I will fucking  _ resurrect you and kill you myself. _ ” One of her hands was gripping the back of his head, holding him securely in place, and Gai wondered exactly what was putting the fear lurking in the back of her eyes. “Watch their backs.”

He didn’t have to be a genius to know who she was talking about. He nodded as much as he could without breaking her grip or actually kissing her. She let go and smiled sharply, showing too much teeth, “Good.” She stood, stretching languidly before offering him a hand up. “Now, I have a teammate to visit, and you no doubt have your own thing, so shoo.” 

She wiggled her fingers at him and he smiled at her brightly giving her a thumbs up and a loud, “YOSH! Our spar was a wonderful example of the SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH, beautiful Kei, and I hope we can soon repeat the stunning event!” She simply snorted at him, waving a hand absently before making her way towards the Nara Compound. 

Hiroshi would no doubt still be up, and she would need his help in gaining the Nara heir. She would have to con him into getting Kenshin to help too ( _ without _ making their precarious peace shatter in a million pieces). Kei grimaced silently at the thought, rubbing her neck as a chill slithered down her spine. She would gladly murder for her teammates, but if it ever came down to them or Shuu - she would choose Shuu (as many times as she had too). She wouldn’t like it, would  _ hate _ it in fact, but - 

Shuukaku was her sister in every single way  _ but _ blood. They had grown up together, gone through the academy together, gone through the  _ war _ \- The only reason she was alive today and not just another body on the battlefield was because of Shuu - and the reverse was the same. Most days Shuu was her entire reason for  _ living _ \- but she was gone now and there was only Hachi and her  _ teammates _ \- and she couldn’t ( _ wouldn’t _ ) break the tenuous thread that still held them together. 

Kenshin (and Hiroshi) had known this fact, had accepted it a long time ago, but  _ before _ there had never come a time where their interests had conflicted, until  _ now _ . The Hyuuga Incident was too personal -  _ too close _ \- for Kenshin to just brush aside her connection with Shuu. Shuu, who had been framed for that very incident. There was many things her team would brush off, but for Kenshin, his clan was something else entirely. 

It didn’t matter that Shuu was actually innocent - Kenshin hadn’t exactly been close with the redhead, so his rage blinded him to the truth. 

And Kei understood. She didn’t like it, but she  _ understood _ . 

“Ahh, if it isn’t Kei-chan,” a lazy drawl called out, and Kei was pulled sharply out of her rapidly spiralling thoughts. She stopped abruptly, chakra the only thing stopping her from face planting off the roof she had perched on the edge of. 

She peered over the edge, a sheepish look on her face, “A-ah, sensei.”

Nara Shikaku only raised one eyebrow at her, a flat look on his face. Fighting the urge to fidget like a scolded child, Kei cautiously rolled off the roof, rising to her feet next to the porch her sensei was lounging, a shogi board placed in front of him. He motioned to the opposite side of the board and she bit back a groan, slinking to the other side reluctantly. They played silently for what felt like an eternity, before Shikaku spoke, “What’s this I hear about there being a rift between you and Kenshin-kun?”

Kei twitched, chakra spiking, and she bit her cheek to stop herself from cursing out Hiroshi (the  _ damn _ snitch). Her sensei didn’t react, but she could feel the amusement curled in his chakra. She glowered at him, refraining from actually picking up one of her pieces and slamming it down on the board. “Kenshin’s just being a little fu-  _ baby _ ,” she finally managed to growl in response, stopping her curse before she could finish, due to the fact that Shikaku  _ did _ have a young child in his house. 

Shikaku hummed, gaze still on the board in front of them. She scowled mutinously, determined to hold strong and not just spill her guts to her sensei. Shuu’s situation was something she wouldn’t -  _ couldn’t _ \- tell him. ( _ she wouldn’t be able to cope if her teammates ended up dead too - it would be the tipping point - she couldn’t - _ ) Her internal distress must of shown somehow, as Shikaku reached across the board and rested a hand on her head. 

His gaze was calm, and his hand warm and her breath hitched. “Don’t-” she choked out, jerking back and out from under his hand, ducking her head. Her arms curled around her stomach protectively, making Shikaku look at her in alarm, calm vanishing under an anxious wave of worry. 

“Are you-” he started, but couldn’t seem to finish his question, throat going dry. 

She looked at him with somewhat wild eyes, but confused. Was she what? His eyes were glued to her arms with a sort of nervous alarm, and she furrowed her brow. What. Then it clicked. She had her arms around her stomach - Nishiki was  _ dead _ \- and - 

“Fucking hell,” she choked, looking at him in horror. “ _ NO _ .”

His eyes shot up to lock gazes and there was the silent question of:  _ are you positive? _

“ _ Kami-sama _ , sensei! I’m not pregnant, damn it all!” she snarled, arms tightening around her stomach even more, even though the position was what started this thing in the first place. Kei couldn’t even scrounge up any embarrassment when she added somewhat hysterically, “I’m not even  _ interested _ in sex! And forget  _ pregnancy _ ! Like hell I could ever be a fucking  _ mom _ even if I  _ was _ ,  _ which I’m not _ .”

Shikaku raised his hands up placating, not even trying to hide the sense of relief. “Alright, alright,” he soothed, wincing when she only glared at him furiously. He kind of deserved that. 

“Tou-chan?” a sleepy voice suddenly sounded from the inside of the house. 

Shikaku grimaced, but called out, “On the porch, Shikamaru-chan.” The tiny body of his son appeared in the doorway, peering out cautiously and eyeing the unknown woman sitting across from his dad warily. Kei eyed the kid back just as warily. Shikaku pulled his son into his lap, and introduced, “Shikamaru-chan, this is one of my students, Suzuki Kei.”

The  _ chibi _ Nara narrowed his eyes at her, and she simply stared back, not sure what the fuck she was even supposed to do. After a minute long staring contest, the  _ chibi _ simply huffed and curled up like a kitten in his dad’s lap and went to sleep. Shikaku looked down at him in exasperation, but didn’t make any move to take his son back to bed. 

“Why are you and Kenshin-kun fighting, Kei-chan?” he asked, giving her an unyielding expression, which made her grimace and look longingly in the direction of Hiroshi’s place. Even if she wanted to beat the shit out of him for snitching on her to their sensei. 

“Take a wild guess, sensei,” she grunted, hopefully the man would take the none answer and realize she wasn’t going to talk about it. 

Shikaku narrowed his eyes at her, and she glared right back. A lazy smirk slithered across his face and he asked easily, “Oh? A lover’s spat?”

She wrinkled her nose at him and scoffed, “As  _ if _ . That thing ended  _ months _ ago. He’s just acting like a big  _ baby _ whose favorite toy was taken away. I wouldn’t go near that tantrum even if I was halfway across the country.” 

Shikaku hummed, “Not even if you were bribed?”

“That’s what  _ other people _ are for,” she snapped back irritably, before abruptly changing the subject. “I’m gonna kidnap your child sometime in the future, sensei.”

He was eternally grateful he hadn’t been drinking something at that moment, otherwise he would have done a spit take. “Oh?” he asked idly, but with a subtle undertone of steel. 

His student only gave him a flat look in return, “Don’t give me that, sensei. I need him as a playmate.” Shikaku really wasn’t sure how he was supposed to respond to that, so only stared at her until she expounded. “ _ He’s dead _ ,” she said slowly, as if he didn’t already know that. 

Of course, Nishiki was  _ dead _ . It was why he had called out to his student, instead of just letting her continue her way to Hiroshi’s home. But what did that have to do with her kidnapping-

_ Oh _ .

“Ah,” he said simply. Well, if nothing else, it would prove entertaining to see just what his student was cooking up. “Alright. Just let me know when, so I can tell Yoshino.” She nodded sharply, before standing and jumping away before he could call her back. He sighed and let her go. She had gotten her message to him loud and clear. 

Yes, she was aware of the consequences of looking into Kita Shuukaku, and she wasn’t looking into it. But she  _ did _ have someone  _ else _ looking into it. However, the situation with Kenshin was one of the Hyuuga not realizing something was wrong with the whole thing, so Kei was simply keeping her mouth shut. But Shikaku knew that wouldn’t last forever.  Something was going to give, and he honestly wasn’t sure what would happened when it did. 

But one thing he knew for sure was he was going to protect his team to his dying breath.

Kei was shaking by the time she reached Hiroshi’s house, and she didn’t bother using the front door, simply swinging in through his bedroom window, which he had left open. She landed on the floor lightly, but the Nara looked up with a rather murderous expression anyways. The look faded, however, when he got a good look at his teammate. 

He was on his feet and next to her near instantly, concerned, but recognizing the fact she didn’t want to actually talk about what was bothering her. He cautiously held his arms out, and winced when she actually fell into his arms, hiding her face in his shoulder. Kei never really took someone else’s offer of comfort in any form, unless it was the Kita twins; the fact that she had just accepted his meant she was really teetering on the edge. 

“Come on,” he muttered. “To bed.”

He guided her to his futon and pulled her back against his chest once he had them settled under the covers. His teammate needed him more than his work did. She shifted back against him, but let out a noise of frustration and rolled over so she was facing him, rather than away from him. She tucked one arm against her chest, and curled the other around his back, shoving one leg between his and then ducking her head under his chin. 

He huffed a little, but easily accommodated to the new position and hummed lightly to hopefully soothe her into sleep. But he knew it wouldn’t work as fast as it would if Kenshin were on the other side. 

 

**|**

**_Year 104 - April 15 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

**Somehow** in the time he had been gone, the world had gone  _ insane _ . He’d come  _ home _ (was it really home any more?) to find things had changed, and  _ not _ in a good way. (it was all wrong - wrong wro _ ng wrong WRONG - _ ) Kakashi was only grateful he had gotten most of the story about what had happened ( _ Shuukaku wouldn’t do that -  _ don’t think about it don’t question it - it would only lead to -)  _ before _ he ran into Hachimitsu.

(because he  _ wasn’t  _ waiting for her, but-)

He owed it to his self proclaimed little sister ( _ just _ because their sensei’s had gotten  _ married _ ) to at least  _ try _ to talk to her after what had happened ( _ don’t think about it _ ). Or have a spar. Spars were better, less feelings and less talking (about said feelings).

“Sempai-nii-san,” Hachimitsu greeted, blinking when she spotted him, and he frowned. 

He stared down at her with narrowed eyes and returned, “You don’t have to call me that.” He would forever deny the curling warmth in his stomach every time she did, though. 

She smiled, but it was only a pale mockery of her normal one. “But that’s what you are,” she said easily. “I wouldn’t mind if you called me kohai-imouto-chan.”

He cringed and sighed, “That is way to much of a mouthful.”

That only earned him a snort, but nothing else, which was in and of itself worrying. Several awkward seconds passed before he shifted uneasily and informed her cautiously, “I heard about Shuukaku.”

( _ don’t think about it - _ )

“Not surprised,” she said wearily, sounding so very  _ tired _ . “You’d have to live under a rock to have  _ not _ heard, by now.”

( _ don’t question it - _ )

“I was surprised to come home and find that the administrative building  _ hadn’t _ declared itself a sovereign nation from Konoha, and well on its way to taking over,” he admitted lightly, shoving his hands in his pockets to hide the faintest of trembling.

Hachimitsu’s family could totally do it too. Even Minato-sensei had acknowledged the fact, and Kushina had gleefully backed him up by pointing out that there was one full blooded Uzumaki (even if he  _ didn’t _ use the name anymore), two half blooded Uzumaki, and six quarter blood Uzumaki working there. The fellow Uzumaki had even happily pointed out that they all even had the Uzumaki luck to back them up, and it was probably a good thing they were all as lazy as cats, or they already would have taken over the village entirely.

“Plans were being drawn for that when I came home to this clusterfuck,” Hachimitsu admitted. “Even Grandfather was in on it.” 

And that was a rather terrifying thought, but not one Kakashi was focused on. Hachimitsu wasn’t one for cursing unlike her sister, and he hadn’t missed the fact that she  _ hadn’t been there _ when everything had all gone to hell in a handbasket. “So?” he asked.

“Shuu-chan betrayed the village,” Hachimitsu said in a flat tone, eyes dead. “So what’s the point? We dropped it.”

Kakashi frowned, stiffening only the slightest bit. What the hell could make  _ that _ family drop investigating something to do with one of their own? Anyone who knew Shuukaku  _ knew _ she was loyal to the village. All of that family was loyal to an almost frightening degree (except one, but no one actually talked about her - she was messed up to begin with from what he had heard). The village was  _ theirs _ in their eyes. Even more so to Shuukaku and Hachimitsu, after they developed their alter egos.   

“Did you hear about her teammates?” the younger shinobi sudden asked.

He faltered slightly. He had heard rumors, but he had been more inclined to believe they had actually faked their deaths and were with their teammate doing whatever. Probably trying to find proof that Kumo had framed Shuukaku. It was the only thing that made any sense. 

“I have heard rumors,” he acknowledged, shrugging lightly. 

“They’re actually dead,” she informed him flatly. “Officially KIA. Not by Shuu-chan as the rumors would tell you. She doesn’t - or didn’t, I don’t know - know about them.” 

She made a slight whine at the end, and Kakashi immediately glanced around to make sure he knew where all possible exits were. But then the words processed fully and he blurted, “They’re really dead?” Because  _ what _ ?

Hachimitsu nodded, face rather stony, “Yes. I got in to see the bodies just to make sure myself.” Which let him know she  _ hadn’t _ been called in to do the autopsy, but it was an open secret that she would do random ones on bodies. No one was sure  _ why _ , but rumor had it that she was doing something for the Uchiha. She had also said  _ officially _ KIA, meaning she believed someone had  _ murdered _ them. ( _ don’t think about it don’t - _ ) She also probably believed  _ something _ about her sister and then her family  _ dropping it _ \- it wasn’t a very pretty picture being painted. 

(d _ on’t _ -)

“I see,” he hummed, letting her know that he had caught on to her hints. “You will let me know if you need anything?”

She waved her hand, “Yeah, yeah.”

He shifted his stance and asked, figuring it would be a safer topic than her twin, “How’s your team taking all of this? Nishiki handling Naruto alright?” He was immediately proven wrong in his assumption when her eyes flashed golden-green and she let out a growl as her lips pulled back to bare her fangs. He fought back the instincts he had long buried and denied since his father’s death ( _ blood - body - what was the point? - dad? - _ ) over a decade ago. He clamped his lips closed forcefully, clenching his jaw to doubly make sure he didn’t bare his own teeth with a growl. 

He stood his ground and waited for her to hopefully calm herself and Panther-chan down. It was obvious she didn’t so much as  _ calm down _ as just contain her emotions with a vengeance and prevent them from crossing her face. She took a deep breath and turned away from him and an icy cold fear gripped at his throat.

( _ something else had happened - kami-sama don’t let anyone be - _ )

“Nishiki died on our last mission,” she informed him tightly, a growling undertone making her voice sound lower than it actually was. “Shi-chan and I are banned from interacting with Naruto- _ koneko _ .” Her claw like nails were digging into her striped sleeves, a testament to the fabric’s strength when it didn’t tear. 

“If  _ you’re _ not,” Kakashi started, mind scrambling to gain some form of order again ( _ whywhywhywhy - everyone was leaving him - what about Naruto, oh kami-sama - couldn’t - couldn’t - couldn’t - _ ) “Then who is taking care of Naruto? He’s not even  _ close _ to being old enough to live on his own.”

( _ don’t let him actually be living alone - oh kami-sama _ )

“Officially?” Hachimitsu started, fingers tapping against her arms. “The orphanage. Unofficially? Kei-chan is looking out for him. She’s taking a leaf out of my family’s book.”

Kakashi’s brain stuttered. “Kei? As in  _ Suzuki Kei _ ? The girl who  _ hates _ children?” he asked incredulously, wondering if his hearing had suddenly failed him. 

“Yess,” she drew out slightly. “But she’s doing it mostly for Nishiki-chan.” Her breath hitched over his name, but he ignored it. 

Because it was taking a minute to figure out why  _ Kei _ (she did  _ hate _ children, right?) would do this, and why Nishiki had anything to do with her decision. They had...started dating or something, hadn’t they? He hadn’t paid much attention to it, besides remembering Gai shouting about the BLOSSOM OF LOVE and how his own couldn’t even begin to compare. Then his mind latched onto what Hachi had meant with Kei taking a leaf out of her family’s book. 

“And she’s going to put herself in the path of even  _ more _ children?” he sputtered in disbelief. 

Hachi only shrugged, “Yes, and she’s getting away with what the three of us  _ couldn’t _ do because she’s not on anyone’s watch list. Of course, with this, she will, but-”

“By the time she  _ does _ , it’ll be too late,” he finished, laughter evident in his voice. Because,  _ seriously _ ? No one would  _ ever _ see it coming. From any outsider’s point of view Hachimitsu’s graduating class wasn’t that close. All the teams specialized in something different, they weren’t in the same chunin exams - some not even taking the exam since they got a field promotion - and in Hachi’s case, well. The three of them had all been from different class, and had been in the lead to become Jonin.

Or that  _ had  _ been case. 

“What are you and Shisui doing?” Kakashi asked, wondering if they would just form a partner team. They would be rather good at it and with the way Hachimitsu was on edge...

She twitched, making him raise an eyebrow, and said stiffly, “I’m on hospital duty and Shi-chan is being slotted into another team.”

Kakashi kind of wanted to go throttle his Hokage. “They’re actually  _ keeping _ you in the village and  _ just _ working in the hospital?” he sputtered in disbelief (by the time everything settled in his mind he wouldn’t be overly surprised if nothing began to faze him anymore). Hachimitsu was good at healing, but she  _ hated  _ it. Give her the choice between healing or something else, and she would always pick the other option. If said option involved killing someone or something, well, more’s the better. 

“ _ Yes _ ,” she confirmed, and he noted that her eye was beginning to twitch rather violently. 

He paused rather deliberately, and then said, “Soo, how long before you take over the hospital, declare it an independent nation, and demand the village bow to your every whim?”

She snorted roughly and said dryly, “You give me way too much credit. They’re probably only keeping me in the village because of Shuu-chan, so I’ll be good.” She paused for a beat and then added innocently, “For awhile at least.”

“So, three days?”

“Six months before I start systematically destroying the training grounds and beating the crap out of my fellow shinobi,” she responded promptly. “Shouldn’t take them too long to send me out on a mission to go destroy something that  _ isn’t _ Konoha property.”

Kakashi couldn’t resist asking, “Is Shisui starting a betting pool for this?” Because if the Uchiha wasn’t, Kakashi was sure he could get Genma to start one. Could probably get that one blonde (Kiyoi?) in on it too. That woman had the devil’s luck in gambling. 

“Talk to him about that,” Hachimitsu shrugged, rolling her eyes, but her lips twitched. “You know I don’t really get gambling.” Shuukaku had been the one who gambled more between them, if only because she adored the psychological aspect of most gambling games. 

“Maybe I will,” he shrugged back and then offered, “Want to spar?”

“ _ Yes _ , that sounds  _ great _ ,” she nodded, already making for one of the nearby training grounds. Kakashi followed her, shaking his head and making a note of possibly recommending Shisui for ANBU. He was kind of surprised the Uchiha hadn’t already followed his teammate, but now would be as good of a time as any. It would be a good way to keep them together, instead of separating them like the higher ups seemed to think was an  _ excellent _ idea after the death of their teammate. 

Which meant figuring out which member of Hachimitsu’s family worked in promotions, recommendation, or whatever branch of the administration dealt with this kind of thing. 

 

**|**

 

**_Year 104 - September 29 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

**Fūma** Senka peered over the edge of the roof she was sitting on, watching the group of children run around in the backyard playing a rather complicated looking game of tag. Naruto was easy to spot with his wild, golden locks and loud voice, and she could see Kei lounging on the ground underneath the large tree that almost dominated the entire yard. Said shinobi looked up, easily honing in on her friend’s signature, and waved a hand at her in a ‘come here’ motion. 

Senka slunk down off the roof, carefully edging around the yard to avoid the group of rambunctious children, until she reached where Kei was looking at her with an amused expression. “What brings you  to my playground?” Kei asked dryly, petting the hair of the obviously Nara child stretched out next to her sleeping. The child grumbled in his sleep, but curled in closer to the teen rather than a way. Senka was rather surprised to note that Kei was looking at the child with a fond glow in her eyes. 

The blonde shinobi kept one wary eye on the children, inching closer to Kei but answered, “There’s been some interesting rumors floating around lately. Have you heard about them?”

Kei scoffed, flapping a hand at the group of brats in her backyard and retorted, “Obviously  _ not _ with this group of brats around. Between them and missions, I don’t have the time to do much of anything  _ else _ .” Senka stared blankly at her, and Kei rolled her eyes, “No, Senka, I haven’t heard the rumors. What are they, since they have you so intrigued by them?”

The blonde blinked slowly and then cocked her head to the side and responded, “There are rumors of a Ghost of Uzushio haunting the waters.”

Kei raised an eyebrow, expression unimpressed. “There’s always rumors of ghosts in Uzushio,” she waved off. Then, before Senka could respond, she yelled out with sharp eyes, “Put that stick  _ down _ , Kiba! You could poke someone’s eye out and then  _ no one  _ would be happy!” The shaggy haired brunette boy pouted, but obeyed, putting the stick back down, quickly being drawn into a game of tussling with Naruto. 

When she turned her attention back on Senka, the blonde clarified, “I mean rumors of an actual  _ ghost _ appearing.”

Kei blinked, “Seriously?” Senka only nodded, and Kei let out a sharp bark of laughter. “Well, that sounds fun,” she snickered, before slowly pushing herself up out of her lounging position. “Help me with lunch, won’t you? Kiyoi had a mission today so I’m doing this solo, and lunch is a nightmare by myself. Come on, up, Shika-chan.”

Shikamaru grumbled, scrunching up his nose as he determinedly kept his eyes closed, and groped around for her stomach to keep a grip and make her stay put. Kei snorted, slapping his hand away gently and rolling him up in the blanket they had been lounging on. Shikamaru let out an indignant squawk, but she ignored him, simply tucking him under her arm. Senka slowly stood as well, eyeing her friend and feeling rather put off kilter. 

Kei put her fingers to her lips and let out a sharp whistle, “Lunchtime,  _ chibis _ !” There was a mad rush for the house, and Kei turned to Senka and said, “You can start setting the table, the foods all set and just needs to be taken out. I’ll deal with making sure the monsters are all clean.”

What followed was probably the most organized chaos Senka had ever had the dubious pleasure of witnessing. The kids had all finally noticed her and had bombarded her with all kinds of questions that often left her feeling confused, but Kei had been very good at deflecting things, or explaining something, to keep them all sufficiently satisfied. After lunch meant another round up for clean up, which the kids all handled rather admirably (mostly because they were all tuckered out now).

Once everyone was cleaned up, the group was moved into the living room for nap time. Kei sprawled out on one of the couches, and Shikamaru and Naruto both claimed her as a mattress. Kiba had taken a shine to Senka, and had curled up in a little ball next to her on the lone armchair in the room. The blonde eyed him warily, sitting stiffly and too afraid to move. Ino and Chouji had taken the large pillow in the middle of the floor, Chouji having just face planted and started snoring, while Ino tried to take up as much space as she possibly could with her tiny body. 

“We’re still trying to get the Hyuuga’s and Uchiha’s to agree to this little mess, and little Shino’s only not here because him and Shibi-san are having a father-son day,” Kei explained quietly once all the kids were dead to the world. She looked a little disgruntled at being used as a pillow by two tiny deadweights, but she didn’t try to move them somewhere else. 

Senka looked at her and then offered haltingly, “I could talk to Ito and Kosuke-sensei? See if they can get the Uchiha’s to agree?”

Kei raised an eyebrow at her and blurted, “Would they even go for that?”

Senka shrugged uncomfortably, “I’m not sure? But it doesn’t hurt to ask, right?” Kei looked at her in surprise. The blonde had come a long way from the awkward and emotionless little girl from the academy, if she was actually considering asking for something even if she might be rejected. Senka looked away and added quietly, “Kosuke-sensei is worried, so is Ito. I don’t know about what, but they’ve been...stressed lately. Shouhei’s noticed it too.”

Kei eyed her contemplatively and then suggested, “If you can manage to get those two to get the Uchiha’s to agree, have your teammates come help out some time. It might help a little.” Senka looked at her in confusion, wondering how the hell helping out with this chaos would  _ help _ ? Kei only grinned at her. They spent the next hour mostly in silence, Kei dozing lightly, while Senka finally relaxed enough to even tentatively rest a hand on Kiba’s head. 

There was a knock on the front door, and Kei came out of her doze to sense who was there, and recognizing the signature, spiked her chakra. The door opened and Senka was pulled out of her thoughts by the appearance of Inuzuka Tsume and her ever present partner, Kuromaru. The wild looking woman grinned sharply when she spotted where her son had decided to curl up for his nap, huffing out a rough laugh. “What’d yah do to gain the little  _ gaki’s _ trust?” she growled amusedly. 

Senka shrugged uncertainly, eyeing her warily and slowly retracting her hand from where she had been resting it on the kid’s head. Kiba made a somewhat distressed whine at that, curling closer to Senka, making her look down at him in shock, and Tsume barked out a rough laugh. She easily scooped her kid up, settling him against her shoulder, his irritated grumbling settling when he caught her scent. 

“Thanks for watching him again, Kei,” Tsume shot at the blue haired shinobi, who only grunted at her and flapped a hand at her. Senka nodded at the woman, who left without another word. It wasn’t much later when Akimichi Chouza came to pick up his own son, a look of fond amusement on his face when he found the position his son was in. 

Inoichi was next, then Shikaku, and after that Senka decided it was her turn to leave now that she had accomplished what she had originally came for and Kei no longer needed her help. Kei only waved her off sleepily, more than likely going to take her own nap now since it was only Naruto with her. Senka left, and instead went to go visit her teammate and sensei. 

The Uchiha District was in one of the quiet periods of the day so there were only a few people actually wandering around, and the guards let her in with no hassle. She was a common enough visitor, and with Kosuke being her sensei, she could mostly come and go as she pleased. Kosuke and Ito shared a house in the northern part of the district, near the home of the Clan Head and his family. She avoided actually passing that house, however, not comfortable with being that close. 

Ito was the one who answered the door when she knocked, looking rather exhausted and she felt a stab of guilt for bothering him. “Senka-chan,” he greeted warmly, a faint smile crossing his face. “What brings you here?”

She twitched uncomfortably, and answered, “I wanted to talk to you and sensei about something.” Ito only looked faintly curious, but that was mostly due to the fact that he had a hard time actually showing emotion. He motioned her into the house and over to the living room, where Kosuke was frowning down at some paperwork spread out on the table in front of him. 

“ _ Ojisan _ , Senka-chan wants to talk to us about something,” Ito announced as he settled on one side of the table, while Senka took the seat across from Kosuke, who looked up at their arrival. 

The older man blinked languidly, “Oh?” He shuffled the papers into a pile and set them aside, giving his female student his undivided attention. “What is it, Senka-chan?”

Senka chewed on her cheek, trying to figure out how she should broach the subject. “Do you,” she started, squinting as she struggled. “Do you know what Kei’s doing?”

Kosuke’s eyebrows rose slowly, but his expression didn’t change otherwise. “I’m not sure I know what you are talking about,” he returned easily. Ito, on the other hand, placed his chin on his hand and looked thoughtful. 

“She’s - she’s watching over the clan heirs in a kind of day care?” Senka tried to explain, and Ito’s chin slipped out of his hand and slammed against the table. 

“Kei  _ hates _ kids, though,” he blurted out, eyes wide. 

Even Kosuke looked a little incredulous, but instead asked, “What does that have to do with us, though?” And why was Suzuki Kei doing it in the first place? Like his nephew said, the girl did  _ not _ like kids, and went out of her way to avoid them if she could. 

Senka’s brow furrowed and she continued cautiously, “The Uchiha’s have refused her invitation, and Kei would like to have them accept. I’m not quite sure what she’s  _ really _ doing, but she needs all of the clan heirs.”

“So, she would like us to talk to Fugaku-sama and get him to agree to these  _ playdates _ for his heir? Is Itachi not a little too old for that?” Kosuke pointed out somewhat dryly, raising an eyebrow when his blonde student only looked confused. 

She shook her head, “Not Itachi-kun. His brother; though I don’t think Kei will say no to having Itachi-kun join as well.”

Ito frowned, “Sasuke-kun? But he’s -  _ oh _ .” His uncle looked over at him sharply, but his nephew was blinking rapidly, looking vaguely startled. Ito coughed into a fist, shoulders shaking in an obvious attempt of holding back laughter. 

“Ito?” Kosuke asked flatly.

The younger shinobi waved a hand, and answered, amusement evident in his voice though not his face, “She’s undermining the council,  _ ojisan _ . With Mikan-san dead, the young Uzumaki was left without a caretaker and Hokage-sama had to put him in the orphanage full-time. Kei - she’s making the day care to help Uzumaki-kun. If all the clans are in on it, no one can tell her no.”

“And by the time anyone figures it out, it will be too late,” Kosuke sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. There was a beat of silence before the man sighed again and said, “Alright, I’ll talk to Fugaku-sama and see about getting Sasuke into this little group.”

“Might want to try Mikoto-nee first,” Ito offered, shrugging lightly. “Her and Kushina-sama were friends, I believe.” 

Kosuke balked slightly at that, face taken on a look of pained remembrance, but he nodded all the same. “Probably for the best, that,” he muttered wearily. Of course, the moment he went to go talk to his niece, she would ply him with tea and sweets to try and get every single detail out of him (and probably try to find him a wife...again). She would want to know how his team was doing (mainly her beloved little brother), when he was going to bring them over for dinner, and  _ kami-sama _ who knew what else. 

He wasn’t look forward to it at all.

“Don’t worry,  _ ojisan _ ,” Ito offered, smiling faintly. “I’ll go with you, so you won’t suffer alone.” Kosuke’s eye twitched. Ito would more than likely only make it worse, even just by  _ being there _ . His nephew continued, as if Kosuke wasn’t looking like he wanted to bang his head against the table, “Besides, I can take it as an opportunity to see what my adorable little nephew has been up to since he’s graduated!”

Kosuke actually groaned out loud this time. Senka coughed lightly and when she had their attention, smiled gratefully, “Thank you.”

“You’re my student, Senka-chan,” Kosuke said solemnly like that explained everything (which it did actually - Uchiha Kosuke had no children of his own, and his only immediate living family was his niece and nephew - to him his team  _ was _ his family and family did anything for each other). 

Senka bowed her head.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 104 - October 19 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

**“Hey** , have you heard the latest -  _ what are you doing _ ?” Shisui backtracked, taking in the sight of his teammate with one hand in what he was  _ pretty sure _ was a dead body, and the other hand writing down on what looked like pages of notes. 

“An autopsy,” Hachimitsu answered absently, only sparing him a brief glance. “You  _ do _ know I do them for you clan fairly often, right?”

Shisui coughed into his hand and answered, “Well,  _ yes _ , but I’m not usually around for those.” He wandered over a little closer, leaning over to see just what exactly she was doing with the insides of the dead body. Her hand was holding what he was pretty sure was a kidney. He grimaced and stepped away deliberately and gave Hachimitsu a look. 

“I find it rather strange that  _ this _ type of thing doesn’t bother you at all, but you puke after having to remove poison from someone,” he said dryly. 

Hachimitsu shuddered, and hissed, “Blood isn’t running through the body, and  _ drop it _ . I have the creeps just  _ thinking _ about it.”

Shisui grinned and held his hands up, “Right, right.”

“So what were you saying before you got distracted?” she asked even as she returned her full attention to the body.

“Oh yeah! Have you heard the latest international rumor?” he asked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet eagerly. 

Hachimitsu waved her hand absently, nearly splashing him with blood in the process and hummed, “Something about Uzushio being haunted? That’s old news.”

He made a face and took another step away, this time away from the blood now on the floor, and then answered, “Well, yeah, but people are actually seeing a ghost. There’s been rumors about it for a couple weeks now.”

“A  _ ghost _ ?” Hachimitsu repeated slowly, actually looking up form the body to stare at her teammate. 

Shisui grinned gleefully, “ _ Yes _ , and its  _ scared _ Kiri. Word is that  _ none _ of their shinobi will go anywhere near Uzushio now.”

A feral grin spread across Hachimitsu’s face and she purred, “Well then, it sounds like those legends of Uzushio being haunted are true. No one will want to go there. Especially  _ now _ .” Which was great, because she is positive that’s where her twin had disappeared too (despite the rumors that she was  _ dead _ \- no sightings meant dead, right?).

“Seems like it,” Shisui agreed, before wondering thoughtfully. “Though, I wonder if Kumo is going to try anything with this.”

Hachimitsu’s resulting smile was rather frightening. “Then I’m sure even more rumors of an Uzumaki Ghost will spread,” she said cheerily, and despite the scary smile, Shisui was relieved. The past months had not been good for her (or really him either). Kei had managed to distract herself thoroughly with kids (which was scary whenever he thought about it), but Hachimitsu had been stuck at the hospital, something which she  _ despised _ .

“The Uzumaki Ghost sounds like a bingo book name,” he offered slyly. “Do you think we could get them in the bingo book? It would be fun to try and do.”

She snorted and turned back to her work, “Yes, fun. With or without help from my family? Because if we do, it’ll be in the next edition of the bingo book.”

“Eh, that’d be less fun than doing it ourselves,” Shisui said, flapping a hand. “Though we could get their help on the Konoha edition, and the we try to get them in the  _ other _ nation’s bingo books.”

“Oh, that would be interesting,” Hachimitsu huffed, scribbling down more notes. Shisui really hoped she was rewriting it  _ before _ handing it in to Fugaku-ji-san. He didn’t think his clan leader would  _ appreciate _ reports covered in blood being handed to him. Though the thought did make for a fun mental image. Especially since Hachimitsu would be confused on why it bothered him to have blood covered reports given to him. 

“What’s so funny?” she asked, cutting into his mental image. 

He coughed and answered, “You turning in a bloody report to  _ jisan _ .”

“They’re notes, not reports,” she countered, looking confused.

He waved a hand, shaking his head and sighing, “Nevermind. Forget it.” Then peering at the body again with a grimace, asked, “What are you looking for, anyway? Did he have his eyes replaced too?”

Hachimitsu shook her head, brow furrowed. “No, he didn’t have his eyes replaced, but I’m checking to see if any of his other body parts were. So far nothing, but I’m also checking to make sure he  _ did _ die the way it’s been reported.”

“And did he die the way it said?” he asked seriously. 

“Haven’t found anything that would suggest he didn’t,” she answered with a shrug. “And I probably won’t either. On this one anyway.”

Shisui frowned, “Suggesting that you  _ have _ found such inconsistencies before.”

She pursed her lips and nodded, “Yes, but in those whose eyes were taken.”

If anything he only frowned harder. “ _ Jisan _ has you doing autopsies for everyone, isn’t he?” he asked flatly. 

“Yes,” she answered quietly. “He had me start after I gave him proof that eyes were being replaced. He wants me to find out who’s doing it.” She knew already, or at least had a healthy amount of suspicion, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it right now. 

Shisui narrowed his eyes and asked, “And you  _ don’t _ know who’s doing it?”

She carefully didn’t look at him as she answered, “I have no  _ proof _ of who’s doing it.”

“But you know who’s doing it.”

She shrugged roughly and said sharply, “I believe so but with no proof I don’t.” Shisui grimaced at the secrets hanging between them, but understood the necessity. He was pretty sure he knew who she thought was doing it (or ordering people to do it, more likely), but Shuukaku and her teammates were prime examples of what a good idea it was to  _ not _ discuss it.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 105 - February 8 - Kirigakure Cliffs - Water Country_ **

 

**|**

 

**Shimaoka** Yusuke shivered and rubbed his hands together to try and get some feeling into them. “I fucking hate winter,” he snarled roughly, shivering violently. 

His current partner, Oshiro Seiji, blinked at him slowly, “It’s not  _ that _ cold.” Yusuke snarled at him, eyes narrowed in a vicious glare, but the brunette was unfazed. “Have you heard about Kumo trying to get in contact with us?” Seiji asked, casting a cursory look around at their surroundings. 

Yusuke snorted roughly, and growled, “Course I have, who fucking  _ hasn’t _ ?”

“Rumor is they want to know what we’re hiding in Uzushio,” Seiji continued nonchalantly, and this time Yusuke didn’t shiver because it was  _ cold _ . 

“I fucking  _ hate _ that place,” he muttered sullenly, glaring out in the early morning mist. Seiji didn’t comment. It was a mutually shared feeling between every single Kiri shinobi. “Why the fuck do they think we’re  _ hiding _ something in that deathtrap?” he asked sharply, processing the rest of his partner’s statement. 

Seiji shrugged fluidly, tucking some of his hair behind his ear, showcasing the matching earring looped through his ear, and responded, “Apparently we’re spreading the rumor of a ghost to keep everyone away from Uzushio, so we  _ must _ be hiding something there.”

There was a pause before Yusuke scoffed, his identical earring glinting in the rising light, “Their fucking funeral.” The two fell silent after that, though Yusuke shuffled over to his partner and tucked himself against the taller man’s side, soaking in the unnatural heat the man was putting off. Seiji only gave him a brief look of amusement before returning to his watch. 

Their rather peaceful morning was shattered by the flash of red they caught sight of amongst the scraggly trees that dotted the cliffs. The two stared as a figure with long red hair slipped between shadows, obviously heading towards the other side of the cliff face and the wispy tendrils that were in place of feet told them  _ everything _ .

The figure vanished not long after, and after a moment, Seiji said, “I won’t tell if you don’t?”

“Fucking  _ yes _ ,” Yusuke responded promptly. 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**DEFUNCT**

[dih- **fuhngkt** ]

_adjective_

1\. no longer in effect or use; not operating or functioning

2\. no longer in existence; dead; extinct

**V**

 

 **Summary:** You never know when an Uzumaki will cause chaos. _[10 Things You Didn’t Know About Your Shinobi Village.]_

 **Genre:** Action/Adventure/Humor

 **Warning (s):** crack level humor taken seriously; what-if scenarios; ninjas; violence/gore; unhealthy coping mechanisms; skewed morality; endangerment of minors; alteration of canon events; minor angst; historical bullshit; technical bullshit; screwing with the timeline because of Kiri/Zabuza; other things I can’t think of off the top of my head right now

 

**V**

 

 _Chapter Four_ : The Hidden Villages

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - February 8 - Kirigakure - Water Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **Kirigakure** was a disaster.

There was no other way to describe the hostility and desolation that permeated the very air of the village. Shuukaku knew it was _bad_ after the village had gone into a blackout after the Third Shinobi War, but really this? There was no way a village could ruin itself that badly without some kind of influence pushing for it. There was an undercurrent of unrest beneath her feet and it made her all the more interested in finding out the secrets and ferreting them all out.

A simple illusion seal that kept her appearance mimicking that of a standard Kiri born person, and chakra flavor kept her from being discovered, and with a subtle application of Stealth Mode, she was all set. A simple brush of her fingers in unnoticed places left behind her eavesdropping seal behind, and the chatter of the village was soon filtering into her ears.

She was simply wandering the village, eating a plate of one of Kiri’s specialty dishes (live octopus), when a whisper caught her attention. It was easy enough to twist her chakra _just_ so and vanish completely, heading out of the village and instead to the cliffs where there proved to be something _interesting_. She knew vaguely that some of the Hidden Villages had Jinchūriki, but had never learned their names and Kushina- _obasan_ had been the only she had ever met in person.

So the whisper of one in the village, even just training out on the cliffs, caught her interest and she was determined to meet this _Utakata_.

She slunk through the scattered trees and shadows that led to the outcropping of cliffs on the edge of the village, and found her target easily enough. _Utakata_ was a boy only a couple years older than her with messy brown hair that fell over his left eye and pale skin that was only mostly hidden by the loose yukata he wore. She crept forward on silent feet, scenting the air and intrigued by the familiar bite of damp earth. It was an undertone to the rest of his scent, but Kushina- _obasan_ had carried the same flavor under the stronger ones of fire and sunshine.

Utakata carried the edge of salt water and the gentler touch of soap of all things.

Shuukaku crept ever closer, curious to see what the boy was writing on the scroll in his lap. She peeked over his shoulder and couldn’t stop herself from commenting in disgust, “That’s _horrendous_ seal work.” He jerked, brush slashing forward and completely destroying the supposed seal he had been working on copying from his master’s notes. He turned, kunai in hand, and slashed at the person that had somehow managed to _sneak up on him_.

The woman - standard Kiri _chunin_ uniform, forgettable features and looks, water flow like chakra - dodged the attack, holding her hands up placating and an easy grin on her face (which _what_ \- Kiri shinobi _never_ smiled - not at _him_ anyway). “Woah now, didn’t mean tah sneak on yah,” she said easily, the rough way most Kirigakure shinobi spoke rolling off her tongue easily.

Utakata eyed her warily, grip tight around his kunai, and asked quietly, “What do you want?” His language was more smooth and cultured, giving credit to the whisper she had heard that he was the Sandaime Mizukage’s son ( _it was amazing what people whispered about when they thought no one could hear_ ).

She shrugged her shoulders, “Nothin’ really. Saw yah over here an’ got curious what yah were workin’ on.” She peered down at the scroll still unfurled, but now half on the ground and said flatly, “Gotta say though, that’s some shoddy seal work.”

Utakata bristled and he bit out, “And what would _you_ know of seals that Master Harusame doesn’t?”

Shuukaku barely refrained from scoffing, but couldn’t quite prevent her lip from curling. What did she know indeed? Falling down to sit next to him, she tugged the scroll out of his grip and pulled out one of her own brushes. She unfurled the scroll further and glanced at the original seal he had been trying to copy (an explosion seal - how _simple_ ). Completely ignoring his aborted sputter, she dipped the brush in some of the ink he had and began to draw out an explosion seal.

“This is a basic explosion seal,” she explained shortly, gesturing to the seal she had just drawn, ignoring his open mouth. She began drawing a different seal, the lines becoming more swirled and looking more put together than either seal from before. “ _This_ is a specialized explosion seal. Every seal yah draw yourself has to have something of _you_ in it to ever work efficiently.”

“What do you mean something of me in it?” Utakata blurted out, fascinated as he watched the strange woman’s seal come to life under a steady hand. He could see similarities between the basic explosive and the specialized one, even some in his Master’s own seal (but he noticed that compared to the woman’s seal work, his master’s looked rather childlike and mediocre - not that he would _ever_ admit that out loud).

She blinked at him and then answered, sounding vaguely confused, “Well, everyone has a different signature, don’t they? Why would seals be any different?” He blinked back at her, looking just as confused and she waved a hand trying to explain, “Like _ninjutsu_! There’s a standard for every _jutsu_ , but eventually one person will do somethin’ _slightly_ different an’ make it their _own_. It’s still the same basic _jutsu_ but now it has someone’s personal twist to it.”

...And that made sense, Utakata realized. His master and he shared the same bubble _jutsu_ , but he had his _own_ way of using it that differed from his Master. “Once yah find tha’ personal twist for _seals_ , the concept is the same,” she continued, gesturing somewhat wildly with her other hand that held the brush, ink splattering on the ground. “Like mine (she waved with her empty hand at the now complete seal) - I don’t ‘ave an elemental affinity so I ‘ave tah add something a little _extra_ tah make sure my seal has enough kick tah actually _explode_.”

“What if you have an affinity for water?” he asked curiously, completely forgetting his earlier wariness in the face of her genuine enthusiasm for seals and willingness to _explain_ something to _him_ , the _monsterweaponthing_ of Kirigakure.

She hummed and then drew another seal, but this one had more sharp curves and spikes than her own, or the basic seal. She pointed at the curved lines that intersected and connected around the mark in the middle and explained, “Despite contrary belief water _can_ explode. It’s just a matter of finding the way tah make tha’ actually ‘appen. The lines here trap the ‘water’ of the chakra and the ones _here_ (she motioned to the spiked lines) heat tha’ ‘water’ tah the point where it _would_ explode; thus creating an explosion seal.”

“Huh,” he said quietly, eyes a little wide.

Shuukaku eyed him shrewdly and made a decision. “Word of advice,” she started, catching his attention near instantly. “Before yah start drawing seals tryin’ tah figure out what yer twist it, practice writing until yer hand is _always_ steady no matter the situation and study _every_ aspect of a seal before goin’ _anywhere_ near one. Explosion seals are simple and easy since every standard one is based off the Uzumaki drawn ones - it’s the reason everyone can use ‘em, same wit’ storage scrolls. Once yah figure out how tah write steady all the time, yah’ll find that yer twist will come easily enough.”

Utakata made to respond, but her head jerked up, a sudden intensity twisting her features and his mouth clicked shut. She stood with a grunt, and then with another smile that made his gut twist in confusion said, “I’ve gotta go now, it was nice tah meet yah.” With a brief wave she left before he could get a word in, vanishing into the shadows and sparse trees that led back up to the village.

He stared after her, wondering just what had sent her away, but was distracted by a call of, “Utakata-kun!” He turned in that direction, surprised to find his master coming towards him; he thought the man wasn’t supposed to be back until later that night? The Jinchūriki rolled the scroll he had been using as practice up and tucked it away, something inside him telling him that he probably shouldn’t show his master the seals inside.

All thoughts of the strange woman were pushed out of his mind as he went to go meet with his master - and it was only weeks later that he thought about her again.

 

**V**

 

 **The** Mizukage’s Office should not have been as easy to break into as it had been, even with the illusion seal still wrapped around her. Shuukaku narrowed her eyes as she ghosted past the rather empty halls, wondering why the halls weren’t busy with administrative shinobi. Even if Kirigakure had entered a blackout period after the war, there was no discernible reason for them to _lack_ administration. Even with the moniker of the _Bloody Mist_ because of their horrific academy graduation, she had seen and heard evidence of that practice becoming muted.

There were still virtual massacres with every graduation, so the shinobi force was rather small compared to the other villages, but not having any _administration_? That reeked of something suspicious, but she had enough simmering hatred for Kirigakure to not really want to investigate any further. It was petty, and she knew intellectually it would probably come back and bite her in the ass, but she wasn’t prepared to dig further in the tangled mess.

Having her eavesdropping seals spammed across the village would just have to suffice.

The redhead slunk into the actual office, careful to stick to the shadows, and frowned when she realized there was no one in the room. The desk was covered in papers piled relatively high, but the seat was empty and she couldn’t sense any other presence.

She hummed lowly, but ignored the anomaly for the moment, placing her seal under the lip of the desk as she passed, instead heading for the cleverly hidden false wall. It was disgustingly easy to slip past the pathetically drawn seals and Shuukaku grinned when she came to the room filled with scrolls documenting the secrets of Kirigakure. (-the seals weren’t actually easy to slip past for anyone else - but no one else had been studying seals since they could basically walk or had training by some of the greatest seal masters of Uzushio - but for one such person it was as if they weren’t even there -)

Shuukaku was determined to get some form of blackmail on every Hidden Village she could. If she wanted to keep her family ( _packpackpack-_ ) safe she had to make herself the biggest target in the playing field. And she would do it with her greatest skillset. Intelligence and stealth. You can’t ( _won’t_ ) kill someone who has the secrets of your enemy, even if they have secrets on you too.

The redhead let her illusion fade, confident in her ability to either reapply it or simply fade into the shadows entirely. Ghost rumbled in the back of her mind, and she turned her attention to the scrolls. She would find whatever she needed before leaving. There was little desire to stay in the cesspool of festering hatred and bloodlust.

The scrolls were mostly useless to her since she had no desire to actually sell the information to anyone, but it served as a safety net. “The Sandaime Mizukage is one sick piece of work,” she muttered to herself, lip curling back over her teeth in disgust. The man had started his reign strong and following in his previous kage’s footsteps but near the end of his term it was like he suddenly went off the deep end. He started the new massacre graduation exam, and steadily made his shinobi more ruthless, more bloodthirsty, and then suddenly he was gone.

Shuukaku paused in her reading. Gone? She scoured the scrolls a little further and frowned. The Sandaime Mizukage was presumed dead, and shortly after being labeled ‘ _missing_ ’ a young Yagura was elected as Mizukage. There was no further investigation into the disappearance of the Sandaime, and the rule of Yagura was perpetuated by further bloodshed and a zero tolerance of traitors. “I might have to look into this at some point,” she murmured softly, eyes narrowed, before she continued her perusal through the scrolls.

There wasn’t much for the Fourth Reign, but as she dug deeper into the Third Reign she ran across a name she _knew_. A name she knew _personally_.

Nohara Rin stared back at her from the scroll, and Shuukaku had to bite back a howl of rage and forcibly relax her fingers to prevent tearing the paper. With great determination the redhead tore through the scroll, face going pale with anger the further she read. Hatake Kakashi’s teammate had been kidnapped by Kiri shinobi (though their names were not mentioned) and had the _Sanbi_ forcibly sealed into her. And to make it worse had another seal slapped on her - a seal that had her nearly frothing at the mouth in fury.

The kinkoju no fuda was one that most Uzumakis frowned heavily on since it stripped a person’s will from them and forced them to doing the sealer’s wish. Her only real comfort was that the only version floating around was not the original copy and instead a simplified version that only prevented the target from taking their own life and removing the seal. The only copy of the original seal was with _her_ , written in the scroll she had first discovered in Uzushio.

And there was no way for anyone to get to it, even if she was _dead_.

Shuukaku forcibly calmed herself, pushing a furious Ghost to the back of her mind. It was not a good idea to go full feral at the moment. Reading through the rest of the scroll she frowned heavily. Rin was supposed to have made it to Konohagakure and release the _Sanbi_ , and there was a team of Kiri _Jonin_ and _ANBU_ sent out (names mentioned) to make sure she arrived. None had come back.

Expect Shuukaku knew for a fact that Kakashi had _not_ killed all of the enemy shinobi.

So how come not one of them had come back to Kirigakure?

And why was only the team sent out to guarantee Rin made it to Konohagakure named, but not the ones who kidnapped her?

She squinted at the scroll, before putting it back and deciding she would think about it later. It was about time for her to leave anyway. Wouldn’t do to stay too long, and she had to make an appearance somehow so, making an illusion to leave the room and confront whoever it was that was making wary steps towards the open passage. She would use the distraction to make her own escape and make her way towards Kumogakure.

However, like any plan made, it was derailed before it could even really begin.

The footsteps that had been heading for the opening she had left open behind her paused, and there was a rather ominous silence that had the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Narrowing her eyes, the redhead slowly crept forward, sticking to the shadows and cloaking Stealth around her completely as she carefully slunk up the steps. There was the sound of metal slicing through the air, and there was mist rolling across the floor.

Shuukaku reached the top of the stairs and stopped. She blinked slowly as she took in the scene before her. The Mizukage had evidently returned to his office and then apparently had then proceeded to have an attempt on his life via assassination by one of his own shinobi. Cocking her head to the side, Shuukaku raked her eyes over the diminutive figure that was the Yondaime Mizukage, tasting the scent of damp earth in the back of her throat and noting the rather doll like gaze the man held.

So, Yagura was the new holder of the _Sanbi_. How _interesting_.

She glanced over at the attacking shinobi and hummed silently. It was a high-level Kiri shinobi with short, spiky dark hair and bandages wrapped around the lower half of his face, including his nose (much like _Inu-chan_ ). He was dressed in a standard uniform, but with the Jonin flak jacket and the mask of ANBU hanging from his belt. It was the blade he wielded, however, that gave away his identity to her.

Momochi Zabuza was trying to assassinate his Kage. How _interesting_.

Of course, the key word was _trying_.

Making a split second decision, Shuukaku rushed forward, slamming her arm on Zabuza’s neck and forcing him to the ground as she went down, dodging the swipe of the Mizukage’s own weapon. She rolled, forcing the man with her, until she forced him up, avoiding getting clipped by his own sword, just in time to witness the rather potent chakra start to pour off the Kage. “Ohh, that’s not good,” she muttered.

“Yah think, _red_?” Zabuza snarled, eyeing his Kage with a wary but hateful glare, but unable to shake the grip the younger girl had on him (much to his chagrin). He flicked a quick glance over to the direction she had suddenly appeared from, and nearly blanched when he realized it was the Kage Archive. _How the fucking hell did she get in there?_ his mind howled incredulously, with the faintest spark of _fear_.

She completely disregarded his vague motions of struggle, and as if he hadn’t even spoken, announced cheerfully, “You should invest in better protection of your Archive, Yondaime Mizukage! You never know who might get in and read valuable information!” Her voice was inappropriately sing-song, and Zabuza wondered just where the hell she got that confidence.

Yagura didn’t respond, however, only readying himself for another attack but in a move Zabuza found he could only _just_ follow, the crazy woman dragged them out the window of the office in a backwards fall, eyes glowing a feral gold. An alarm rang out just as they landed on one of the roofs, and Zabuza let out a vicious curse. His _companion_ only laughed uproariously, though, eyes glowing in the darkening day, and lips stretched wide in a grin that showed too many teeth.

“This is getting rather fun,” she cheered, ducking a kunai that nearly impaled her, and still gripping him tight, made a run for the village gates.

Zabuza sputtered and he hissed, “Do yah seriously think goin’ out the _fucking front gate_ is gonna be _allowed_?”

The younger girl scoffed, her hair flying out behind her and nearly smacking him in the face, “Like a fucking _gate_ is going to stop an _Uzumaki_.”

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - February 18 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **Shisui** did a spit take when he caught sight of the newest addition to the Kiri Bingo Book (which he had stolen off some poor bastard his last mission). The viciously excited face of none other than Shuukaku stared back at him with laughing eyes, and the title _Uzumaki no Yūrei_ screaming at him in large kanji. He had thought it was his teammate at first, since she wore the same expression when she was in the process of mauling someone (it was a vicious nightmare and sometimes he would like to _forget certain things, damn it_ ), but the red hair - the Uchiha coughed violently, and Hachimitsu slammed her hand on his back, not even looking up from the reports she was reading.

“H-have you seen this?” he wheezed, gesturing wildly with the book and thrusting it in his teammates face without any fanfare.

“Did you bleed on the book or something?” Hachimitsu asked irritably, squinting at the blurred book that was literally shoved in her face.

“What? N _o_ ,” Shisui sputtered, before realizing that he had put the book to close to her face for her to be able to actually register it. He huffed and slammed the book on the table and gestured at it violently, “This! Have you seen _this_?”

Hachimitsu slowly looked at the book, a confused furrow to her brow that faded as she blinked at the page on display. “Damn it all, but they went and did all the work for me! They even got a _picture_ , like _how_?” Shisui whined, glaring mutinously at the book.

Hachimitsu only took the name in absently, instead taking in the rather small paragraph under the picture. “ _Uzumaki no Yūrei_ ,” she muttered, snorting softly. “How... _fitting_.”

“At least I won the betting pool,” her teammate huffed, pouting (not that he would admit to it). He eyed his teammate though, hoping this wasn’t going to end badly.

Hachimitsu ignored his staring and her eyebrow slowly rose further up as she read and suddenly she realized just what her sister was up to. She wasn’t just going to haunt the ruins of Uzushio - she was planning on making herself a threat to every Hidden Village there was.

Shisui stared at her blankly as a knowing smile spread across the kunoichi’s face and then said, “That’s the face of an epiphany.”

Hachimitsu shook her head, expression stretching into the exact same face that was glaring at them from the book. “Someone is going to be _very_ pissed off and _very_ distracted,” she purred dangerously.

“ _Annd_ that just tells me that person is going to have a very bad day,” Shisui replied blandly. “And that _you_ are going to be the cause of it.”

Her face switched into something more politely angelic and offered sweetly, “Well, it would be rude of me to _not_ take advantage of the gift my dear sister is giving me.”

Shisui stared at her with narrowed eyes before snorting and mumbling, “As long as it’s not _me_.”

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - March 21 - Kumogakure - Lightning Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **“You** have got to be fucking _kidding me_ ,” Shuukaku snarled, staring down at a pretty big dirty secret Kumogakure was keeping.

The _breathing_ body of Hyuuga Hizashi made no response.

“ _Fuck me_ ,” she growled, gritting her teeth and glaring at the healed mark on the man’s neck, and then at the seal that was plastered on top of the clear glass coffin. The seal was a life suspension seal, and while she could easily deactivate it, the question was _should she_?

The Hyuuga Incident was what had landed her a missing-nin, but _he was still a Konoha shinobi_. And even if she was a missing-nin now, _she still loved Konoha_.

She huffed, running a clawed hand through her hair roughly, and still glaring down at the coffin. She had no reason _not_ to, and honestly it would be a big fat ‘fuck you’ to Kumogakure, which she was more than willing to do. Huffing once more, she pulled out a brush and some of the blood ink she had stashed in a seal on her inner wrist, and with sure strokes broke the seal. Even if that man had only been under the seal for two years, he didn’t jolt awake thankfully.

She hefted the man onto her back with a faint grunt after carefully opening the glass coffin, and then with another seal created a body double with some of the Hyuuga’s blood, and (using regular ink) drew another life suspension seal on top. However, hidden in one of the swirls of the seal, she left behind a trigger, that would go off in a day, allowing her time to leave the village and put some distance between them and it.

Hopefully, with an excuse of shoddy seal work and sightings of Hyuuga Hizashi, the Sandaime would be able to put Kumogakure in a chokehold and she didn’t just start another war.

( _please don’t let her have just started a war_ )

It took the entirety of her Stealth Mode to sneak back out of Kumogakure, which was much more difficult weighed down by a man that was much older and _heavier_ than her. She would have to make her way back eventually to make sure Kumogakure made her a Bingo Book page, but that would just have to _wait_.

“I swear to _kami-sama_ if this fucking backfires on me, I will _not_ be held responsible for my actions,” she muttered sullenly as she made it out of the village and set out in a dead run, determined to gain as much ground as humanly possible.

 

**V**

 

 **Consciousness** returned slowly for Hizashi, and he barely had a moment to catch sight of _red_ before a water skin was being held to his lips and a soft voice ordering, “Drink.” He did so automatically, throat convulsing slightly, but the water was taken away before he could actually choke on it, and a cool hand pressed against his ( _bare_ ) forehead. “Oh thank _kami-sama_ ,” the same voice muttered. “Your fever _finally_ went down.”

“Who-?” he muttered, blinking blearily and trying to focus his vision. After a few seconds of rapid blinking his vision cleared and the Hyuuga couldn’t help but stare. Hovering over him was a chunin he only vaguely remembered from Konoha. He thought her name was Kita...Shu-something? She wasn’t wearing her cat eared hat (which struck him as really odd - he didn’t think he had ever actually seen her _without_ it) and her face had rather fresh looking wounds cut from her forehead over the bridge of her nose and ending in the middle of her cheek.

“Relax, Hyuuga,” she muttered. “I’m a friend.”

“Kita -!” he started, but stopped as a cough wracked his body, and her head shot up, but she wasn’t looking at him.

Her eyes narrowed, and then she spat, “ _Fuck_.” He only had a second to look rather scandalized, before she picked him up and slung him over her back (and he would forever _deny_ the squawk that left his mouth at the move). Then she was off up into the sparse trees and pushing at a speed that was making his head spin. He glanced behind them and his eyebrows rose when he caught sight of a group of Kumogakure shinobi desperately trying to catch up with them.

“What’s going on?” he demanded, even though he felt rather like he was going to throw up.

She veered to left, narrowly dodging a thrown kunai and snarled back, “I stole you from Kumogakure, and the fucking bastards would rather have you _back_. _I_ would rather you be back in _Konoha_.” Hizashi blinked, startled, and then the memories came rushing back.

 _Oh_.

“What were you doing in _Kumogakure_?” he asked instead, pushing the memories aside and focusing on the _now_. If he were to be honest, he was feeling rather bitter and angry that Kumogakure had gone back on their word and had somehow kept him alive rather than keep him _dead_. ( _he remembered the bite of cold steel against his throat - the rush of blood gushing from his throat - the difficulty of breathing - the fierce satisfaction in knowing they would_ never _get the Byakugan -_ )

The redhead didn’t immediately answer, swinging down off the trees and sliding into a little cusp of trees that’s roots created a little cave. He felt something wash over them both, and the Kumogakure shinobi that were following them let out loud curses. He turned to face Kita as she sat him down and was startled to find her glaring at him with gold eyes (they had been _brown_ hadn’t they?). “I got labeled a missing-nin, _Hyuuga_ ,” she snarled.

Hizashi stared. Kita? A _missing-nin?_

“ _How_?” he blurted out, mind kind of short-circuiting.

She narrowed her eyes further, and then shook her head sharply. “Not right now,” she muttered, suddenly looking too tired for a teenager. “When we reach Yugakure, I’ll tell you.” He stared at her for moment and then nodded cautiously. He didn’t know why they were going to Yugakure of all places, but it was on the way to Konohagakure in a roundabout kind of way.

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - March 30 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **Hyuuga** Kenshin frowned at the messenger that was shuffling nervously in front of him. “Could you repeat that?” he asked slowly, eyes narrowing down in a confused glare.

The messenger coughed into their hand, and (rather bravely) met the man’s eyes and repeated, “There have been reported sightings of a Hyuuga bearing a strong resemblance to Hyuuga Hizashi wandering around Hot Water Country.”

Kenshin frowned even further, before waving a hand to dismiss the messenger and for the first time in a while left the Compound in search of his teammate. From the murmurs he had been hearing around lately, Kei should be at her house watching over the Clan Heirs (and his mind still screeched to a violent halt when thinking about Kei and _kids_ ).

The rage he had been feeling since that disastrous incident two years ago had cooled considerably, but he had still avoided Kei like the plague. He could set his feelings aside whenever they were assigned missions together, but in the village he couldn’t bring himself to interact with her. In the beginning he had still gotten together with Hiroshi, but even that had started to dwindle away as he realized that the Nara was starting to get fed up with the tension.

So he drew away from his teammates. ( _no matter how much it hurt - he couldn’t face them - he -)_

He stood in front of the door that led into the Suzuki household, fist raised to knock, but couldn’t seem to bring it down. There were the sounds of children laughing and playing emanating from inside and the backyard, and the low murmur of others talking.

What was he _doing_?

Kenshin slowly lowered his hand, face slipping into the cold Hyuuga mask, and he turned to leave. There was no reason to seek his teammates out. There was no reason to seek _her_ out.

But-

It was his _brother-in-law_. Sightings! Of a _dead man_.

And that - that - that was just _too much_. He couldn’t do it. It had to be a trick of some kind. There was no way the wandering Hyuuga was actually Hizashi - _no way_. ( _what was he supposed to tell his nephew - kami-sama -)_

“Kenshin?”

He froze, tensing up and his hands trembled before he closed them in fists and shoved them in his sleeves. Slowly, he turned back around, only feet from the door, and stared. Familiar brown eyes stared back at him, head cocked to the side, and face carefully blank. ( _Kei never kept her face blank unless there was something wrong -)_

“Kei,” he only just managed to return in a level voice.

The blue haired kunoichi continued to stare, brow furrowing just slightly, and after an uncomfortable moment of silence said, “What are you doing here?” She kept her voice neutral with no accusation and holding none of the anger he had come to expect from her when speaking to him. The lack of all of that threw him off and feeling distinctly off kilter.

“I-,” he started, but was cut off by a shout of: “Kei- _nee_!”

A blonde blur slammed into her legs, but she didn’t even twitch, instead glancing down with a deadpan look and returning blandly, “ _Chibi_.”

But - he could _see_ the fond glow in her eyes, and looking down at the blonde child with whisker marks on his cheeks - it was a punch to the gut. Mikan Nishiki was _dead_ \- and Kei - Kei had been in a _relationship_ with him and it had been _so obvious_ they were in love with each other - and now - now he was dead - and because of his anger at his teammates _best friend_ \- he - he -

 _He hadn’t been there for her_.

Kenshin sucked in a harsh breath, taking a step back, and Kei turned to look at him and -

...he ran.

 

**V**

 

 **“Sightings** of someone who looks like Hyuuga Hizashi?” Kei parroted back, blinking back at Senka, who only nodded in response. The blue haired kunoichi ran a hand through her hair roughly, brow furrowed and lips turned down in a frown. That must have been why Kenshin had actually approached her today ( _even though it had been close to a year now since she’s seen him outside a mission_ ).

“Ah fuck it,” she muttered, heaving herself up with a grunt. “I’m gonna go visit my teammate, thanks for letting me know, Senka.”

The pale blonde inclined her head, “You are welcome.” Kei snorted at the formal response, but ignored it for the moment and left her house, making a beeline for the Hyuuga Compound. She was only let inside of the compound because of her connection with Kenshin even if it had been awhile since she had been there.

She followed the long since memorized path to her teammate’s house, and (unlike Kenshin) simply barged into the house without knocking. She stormed her way over to Kenshin’s room and slid the door open with a clatter and completely ignoring the man’s half-dressed state, karate chopped the top of his head. “You _moron_ ,” she growled, glaring down at the startled man.

“Kei?” he sputtered, looking completely gob smacked.

If the Hyuuga had any intention of saying anything more he wasn’t given a chance as Kei snapped, “Do you think I’m an idiot?” He stared at her, utterly baffled, but she only continued on furiously, “Do you think _Hiroshi’s_ an idiot? We’re not _stupid,_ Kenshin.”

“What are you _talking about_?” he finally managed to retort, throwing his hands up in the air in a rare show of aggravation.

Kei stared at him with narrowed eyes, and then said flatly, “We _know_ you’ve been pulling away from us and not just avoiding us. You haven’t had a shogi match with _sensei_ in _months_ , and Hiroshi’s been agonizing over you pulling away from _him_ because he thinks _he_ did something wrong.” She steadily got closer with every word she spoke, until she had him backed against the wall of his room, and her glare had him pinned to his place. “We are your _teammates_ ,” she snarled, jabbing her finger on his chest with every word deliberately.

“I get that you’re angry, Kenshin,” she said, voice suddenly low and soft. “I _understand_ , but don’t just walk out on us.”

Kenshin stared at her like he had never seen her before in his entire life. Her words circled in his head and he tried to respond, but the only thing that came out was something he _never_ wanted to say out loud, “You would have.”

She stepped away from him, looking startled and _hurt_ , and Kenshin bit his cheek harshly. “...you really think so?” she asked, voice sounding so lost and _hurt_ that it had him flinching back.

But it couldn’t seem to stop him from saying back, “Wouldn’t you?”

This time she was staring at him like _she_ had never seen _him_ before in her entire life. Her arms curled around her stomach protectively, and she took another step back. “You really think I would leave you three,” she said flatly, face smoothing out in a blank mask and there was no emotional inflection to her voice. Her eyes shuttered, hiding away any emotion that could possibly show, but Kenshin couldn’t bring himself to care anymore.

Now that he had said the words out loud, he couldn’t seem to stop. “ _Wouldn’t you?_ ” he repeated, his own voice sounding alien to his ears in its harsh deliverance.

She looked at him silently for a moment before saying voice low, “No.”

And she vanished.

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - April 2 - Yugakure - Hot Water Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **Shuukaku** took a sip of the Yugakure specialty sake, eyeing the man across from her with narrowed eyes. The wounds on her face had healed completely, leaving behind two thick scars, and Hizashi would admit to them only adding to her rather feral countenance. He sat across from her, nursing his own cup of sake, and wondering how to broach the topic of why she was a _missing-nin._

“What do you know of Shimura Danzou?” her voice was carefully level, but he could see the hatred in her eyes, and the minute tightening of her fingers around her cup.

He took a sip of his own sake to give himself a second to gather his thoughts. Shimura Danzou was one of the Village Councilors, if he remembered correctly. He honestly didn’t have much to do with the man since his brother was the Clan Head and thus the one to go to any and all council meetings. But…

A memory niggled at the back of his mind and he frowned internally. Hiashi had often come back from those meetings stiff, and when pressed for an answer, instead of the almost expected muttering about _Uchiha's_ , it was instead _Danzou_. Hiashi had _not liked_ the man. Hizashi had never gotten a specific reason for why, and then with the whole Hyuuga Incident, it wasn’t like he could ask then or now.

“Nothing really,” he finally answered. “Only that my brother was often rather irritated with the man.”

The redhead snorted violently, and muttered, “Your brother has _some_ good sense then.” Hizashi raised an eyebrow, somewhat incredulous over the remark. She rolled her eyes at him, but continued, absently running a finger over the seal she had drawn over the table, “Danzou is the reason I am now labelled a missing-nin. I got too close to proof on his misdeeds, so he framed me for selling information to Kumogakure that allowed for the kidnapping of the Hyuuga Heiress to occur.”

“And that was _believed_?” Hizashi couldn’t help but question disbelievingly.

A sharp smile twisted her face, but it was by no means _happy_ , and she returned viciously, “With _evidence_ stating just that? _Yes,_ it was believed.” She swallowed the rest of the sake in her cup and moodily poured more, as she continued with a low snarl, “I could _maybe_ forgive him for that, _eventually_ , but then he had my _teammates murdered_ _for digging_.”

Hizashi was a little surprised at the spark of anger that burst in his gut at the statement, but he really shouldn’t be. There was no way she was lying. And to Konoha _teammates were everything_. Your teammates tended to _be_ your family (even if a second one), and they were always someone you could trust nearly explicitly. While the other villages may laugh at the _sentiment_ , the truth of the matter was that Konoha was practically the top shinobi village _for a reason_.

To have someone _from Konoha_ laugh in the face of that and even _murder_ two of their own shinobi - well - he was not going to stand for that.

 _(what if that happened to his_ son _?)_

“What can I do to help?” he found himself asking before his mind even truly caught up.

The bewildered stare that he received for asking felt like a punch to the gut. Had she not expected him to help? ( _she had saved his life - gave him a chance to return to his brother, his family, his_ son _\- why wouldn’t he help?_ ) “You,” she started, but trailed off like she couldn’t even think of something in response.

“Kita,” he began gently, his face softening even if he didn’t realize it. “If there’s someone in _our village_ going around murdering our fellow shinobi and framing others because of some twisted vision they have of how Konoha _should_ be, I want to _stop him_. I cannot - _will not_ \- let my son grown up in that kind of village where shinobi are simply viewed as emotionless and _mindless_ tools.”

She hadn’t said that Danzou was trying to twist Konoha into some perverted version of what he thought it should be, but he could read between the lines. There was no place for someone like that in Konoha, and he would be _damned_ if he allowed that person to stay.

“There’s not actually a lot you _can_ do at this point,” she murmured after a long moment of silence, staring at him like she had never seen him before. “Without any kind of proof, there isn’t _anything_ we can do.” She turned her eyes away from him, instead turning to her cup and added quietly, “Besides, I don’t even know what’s been happening in Konoha.”

Hizashi inclined his head in acknowledgement, but said anyway, “But we’re heading there, no?” She blinked at him, and he simply raised an eyebrow in return. “I _can_ piece together what you’ve been doing, Kita,” he said dryly.

Shuukaku blinked again, and then threw her head back and _laughed_.

 

**V**

 

 **“Does** anyone know how to keep a secret, you know, _a fucking secret_ anymore?” Shuukaku asked irritably, throwing her hands up in the air, and scowling at the group of old men in front of her.

The group was bloodstained and standing in the mark of Jashin (if she remembered her gods right), where the dead body of unknown origin laid in the middle. They all stared at her with wordless gapes, seeming incapable of forming words in response to her shout. She narrowed her eyes at them dangerously, and they flinched back.

“You know if word gets out that you’re doing _human sacrifices_ , what do you think your citizens will think?” she asked idly, looking at her claws in boredom.

Suddenly, the men all found their words at once.

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - April 24 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **“Hokage-sama!** ” a chunin gasped out as they barged into the office, eyes looking a little wild and face deathly pale.

Hiruzen blinked and said, “Yes?”

The chunin heaved in another gulp of air and then managed to choke out, “There’s a man at the gates claiming to be Hyuuga Hizashi!”

Hiruzen blinked again, and then wondered just when his life had turned into such a mess.

 

**V**

 

 **A** lone redhead sat at the counter of Ichiraku Ramen, steadily making her way through her bowl, and chatting idly with the chef, who was looking as if he was hiding back peals of laughter. “Would you like another bowl, miss?” Teuchi asked, smiling warmly, eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Don’t mind if I do, Teuchi-san!” the woman replied brightly, lips stretched in a wide grin.

Citizens passing by looked as if they were seeing a ghost, and muttering to each other furiously, but none were brave enough to actually enter the ramen stand. “Kei- _nee_ , ramen!” a cheery voice called out excitedly.

The woman raised her head from her bowl, glancing over her shoulder just as a young woman and child entered the stand. The child had bright, sunshine yellow hair and brilliant blue eyes, lips stretched in a wide grin that only seemed to accent the whisker like marks on his cheeks. He paused at the sight of someone already sitting at the counter, taking in the long red hair and bowl of ramen in front of her with squinted eyes.

“Are you my mom?” he blurted, looking awestruck.

The woman standing with him groaned, and then reminded gently, “Naruto, remember what I told you about your mom?”

He turned hurt eyes up at her and pouted, “But she has _red hair_ and likes _ramen_!”

The redhead at the counter laughed, finishing the last of her ramen and placing money on the counter as she stood. She crouched down in front of him, placing a gentle hand on his head and said, “I’m not your mom, _chibi_ , sorry. But she sounds like she was an amazing woman.”

Naruto brightened up considerably and he said, “She was! Kei- _nee_ told me so, and Kei- _nee_ _never_ lies to me!” The woman’s eyes flickered up to look at Kei briefly, but the kunoichi didn’t even so much as twitch, only keeping one eye on the hand on her charge’s head.

The redhead ruffled the hair under her hand as she stood, a wide smile stretched over her face, “That’s good then.” Then she left the stand, the civilians around her looking like they had suddenly just received an epiphany and were suddenly _scared for their lives_.

What no one saw was the strange woman’s hand slipping in Kei’s pocket and leaving something behind.

 

**V**

 

 **Hizashi’s** face was coldly placid, and Hiashi never thought he would ever be grateful to see that expression again. (normally when faced with that specific expression things got _messy_ ) Hiruzen looked as if he would like to be anywhere but _there_ at that particular moment. “What happened?” the old man finally asked, waving a hand to indicate the question was geared for more of a broad explanation then one specific thing.

If anything Hizashi’s face went even colder and the calm smile became rather fixed. “Kumogakure killed me, but when they found that in doing so they lost their chance at gaining the Byakugan, saved me instead,” the man began, voice so dry if could have been the deserts of Wind Country. “They then had me placed under a life suspension seal, except it didn’t hold for very long and I woke up.”

Hiruzen was not an amateur in the ways of seals, though he was no master, and there was no way a life suspension seal would have given way in just two years. He raised an eyebrow at the Hyuuga, who remained blank faced under his scrutiny, and then said blandly, “And I’m to believe the seal just _happened_ to break.”

“Well, you could say a _neko_ helped,” Hizashi said, completely straight faced.

Hiruzen’s eye twitched, and Hiashi _very_ carefully unclenched his jaw. “And just _why_ would this _neko_ help you?” the head of the Hyuuga Clan asked pointedly, only barely managing to keep his tone level.

Hizashi blinked at them placidly and answered, “This _neko_ loves Konohagakure, of course.”

Hiruzen really wished Minato hadn’t been a self-sacrificing _idiot_ just so _he_ didn’t have to deal with _this_. He was getting to old for this shit, really.  

  
**V**

 

 **Senka** didn’t even flinch when she was joined suddenly by another person. She had expected her to come, especially with the distraction of Hyuuga Hizashi’s miraculous arrival. “Did you know?” Kita Shuukaku asked neutrally, face carefully blank and stance deceptively relaxed.

The blonde shook her head and replied quietly, “No.” She kept her gaze forward and continued, “I would have found some way to warn you if I had.”

“And Kiyoshi? Takeo?”

Senka swallowed, and shook her head again, “N _o_.” She turned to the redhead, a sudden desperation clouding her, “You have to believe me, Shuu! I _didn’t know, I’m sorry_.” If the missing-nin _didn’t_ believe her, she was as good as dead.

Gold eyes stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, before Shuukaku let out a little huff. “You probably wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it even if you _had_ , Senka,” she murmured, a low growl under toning her voice. Senka frowned, but knew it was the truth. Shuukaku narrowed her eyes at the blonde contemplatively and then asked, “What can you tell me about Danzou?”

Senka felt her face go blank entirely and her voice was flat as she responded, “Nothing.”

“Oh?”

There was a dangerous purr to the simple word that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, but she continued, forcefully pushing her fear down, “I _can’t_.”

Shuukaku twitched, noting the wording and frowned. “And why _can’t_ you?” she asked, eyes still narrowed, but hand resting on the hilt of her sword.

Slowly the blonde turned to face her friend, and then carefully opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out. Three solid black lines and two broken ones were printed on the woman’s tongue, close to the back of her mouth. A snarl tore across Shuukaku’s face, and Senka flinched back despite herself, tongue back in her mouth. “ _How long?”_ the redhead hissed venomously.

Senka straightened, face blanking and pushing every emotion to the back of her mind. “Before the academy,” she responded, voice dull.

Shuukaku let out a low whine, her furious face melting away into pure agony. Senka had no time to react before in a flurry of hair and fabric she was engulfed in a tight hug. The blonde froze, unsure what to do. Kosuke- _sensei_ had never been big on overt affection, only occasionally ruffling their hair; Ito had been much the same, but more a touch to the hand here, or a shoulder nudge there. Shouhei had been easier in showing affection, but hadn’t done it often either; raised as an orphan on the streets had made him rather wary of touch.

And having grown up in Root, she hadn’t known affection at all until the academy.

But Shuukaku’s scent was familiar. It was ink and cat fur with the earthy undertone that every Konoha shinobi seemed to carry. It was a reminder of sunny days and laughter - but also war, death, and blood - of shared moments of peace on the battlefield - of shared lunches under the canopy of leaves in the academy’s training yards - of _home_.

Senka clung back and buried her face in the other kunoichi’s shoulder.

 

**V**

 

 **Inoichi** sighed tiredly, rubbing the bridge of his nose and wishing the migraine would go away. The pain was far too familiar, but instead of his student’s fussing about him over it, there was only a tired silence. Shuukaku wasn’t there with narrowed eyes and worried frown, touching his forehead and soothing away the pain. Kiyoshi wasn’t there with a steaming cup of tea that he never shared the recipe for - and Takeo wasn’t there with a sympathetic look and calming words.

There was only silence and the reminder of their absence.

His heart clenched at the reminder, and he placed trembling fingers over his eyes as if that would take the memories and _pain_ away. He could still remember the shock and horror of hearing that his _student_ (his _child_ -) was sentenced to be executed for _treason_ ( _she would never do that - you’re lying-_ ). He had fought for a reprisal of the evidence submitted, but had been blocked at every corner and then Shuukaku had _escaped and ran_. She was quickly labelled as a missing-nin with a kill on sight order.

And then-

Kiyoshi and Takeo hadn’t stopped looking - hadn’t stopped _digging_. Then there was a mission - and - they were _dead_. _Murdered_. The village whispered about it being Shuukaku’s doing, but Inoichi knew better - _knew his student better than that_.

His team had been exiled and killed for digging.

He wasn’t stupid. He knew Shuukaku had been looking into something deep (she was after all the one that discovered Orochimaru’s _treachery_ \- not that anyone actually knew that). He just hadn’t wanted to ask _what_. Some kind of instinct told him not to ask ( _don’t ask - don’t pry - some things are better left unknown_ ). He had been all set to digging into just what his student had been doing ( _he knew her best - knew how she thought - what she did - her patterns -_ ), when the deaths ( _murders_ \- the cold voice in the back of his head hissed forcefully) of his other students reached him and-

He _knew_.

If he chose to go digging into whatever mess Shuukaku had gotten into he would wind up dead or worse, his family would ( _but already half your family_ is _gone_ \- something whispered in the depths of his mind and soul).

So with a heavy heart and pent up fury, he buried his head in the sand. He would retire from T&I, and hand the reigns over to Ibiki-kun ( _it should have been Shuukaku, damn it all_ ). He would hide his anger at his Hokage ( _how could you refuse to_ see), and quietly fade away.

And while everyone assumed he’d just become a stay-at-home husband that ran a flower shop with his wife and helped raised his daughter - he would watch and he would wait.

After all, the most dangerous predators were the most patient and innocuous ones.

 

**V**

 

 **Kita** Masuyo kept one ear on the conversations circling around the Mission Desk shinobi under her command, and raised an eyebrow at the current topic.

“I’m serious! It was Kushina-sama!” one of her underlings was whispering furiously, waving his arms around as if that would emphasize his point.

“Bullshit!” another one snapped back. “There’s no way you saw a _dead woman_!”

Masuyo noticed that her nephew, Katashi, was carefully keeping his face turned away and had his shoulders shaking minutely in what was an attempt to keep back laughter. He noticed her looking and smiled, throwing her a wink, and signing that she should wait.

The first chunin to have spoken narrowed his eyes at his fellow and demanded, “Then how do you explain the red hair and guzzling _ramen_?”

Masuyo barely managed to hold back a snort. So her daughter had visited and managed to spark a rumor that the ghost of Uzumaki Kushina was haunting the village.

How adorable.

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - May 6 - Sunagakure - Wind Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **It** seemed that Danzou’s filthy fingers had managed to extend much further than Shuukaku had originally thought. Discovering his hand in Orochimaru’s treachery and the disappearance of children all around, hadn’t been _that_ surprising since she had already been considering it before finding proof (not that she could _use_ any of said proof - most of it was circumstantial). But to find out he had been the cause for the Wind Daimyo to squander his own shinobi village in favor or Fire Country’s?

 _Sunagakure was an ally_.

There was literally _no reason_ for the man to have stolen Sunagakure’s money and mission load, leaving the village practically _destitute_.

Scowling furiously, Shuukaku tore another chunk out of the lizard’s tongue she was eating, glaring at nothing. She had managed to sneak an eavesdropping seal in the Wind Daimyo’s office, so hopefully she would be able to twist the man’s mind back to his _own_ shinobi village, rather than a _foreign_ one. Konoha was _more_ than capable of gathering its _own_ missions.

She took another bite out of the lizard’s tongue, but paused in her chewing when an _odd_ scent drifted up her nose. It was the all too familiar bite of damp earth she associated with Kushina- _basan_ (and Utakata now that she thought about it), but rather than being an undertone to the stronger personal scent of the Jinchūriki, it nearly _overpowered_ it.

It was coming from the direction of a park.

Now curious, the redhead (not that she currently _had_ red hair - the illusion seal kept the appearance of a standard Suna civilian) moved in that direction, taking the last bite of her treat and throwing the stick away. Wandering into the park brought the source of the scent to a child with vibrant red hair, holding a red, rubber ball and looking stricken at the children currently running away from him.

“Maa, would you like to play?” she asked, crouching down in front of the boy with an easy smile, and consequently blocking his sight of the other kids.

Wide green eyes stared at her in shock, the faintest glimmer of hope shining through. Shuukaku noted that the overpowering scent of damp earth was fading under the bite of heat and dust that made up the child’s natural one. She let her smile widen easily, and then offered the second stick of lizard’s tongue she had in hand, offering, “Want to share with me?” She had a third one in hand as well, so at least she would be able to eat another one too (they were surprisingly delicious for being a _tongue_ ).

Slowly a chubby hand reached out and took the offered treat, eyeing her with a wary countenance that had her hackles rising and Ghost waking up with a low growl. Making Jinchūriki so young was just _wrong_. The villages made them for _weapons_ \- and making one as a _child_ \- they all seemed to collectively _forget_ that the Jinchūriki is one. What point was a weapon too afraid of its wielder? Corner anyone enough and they _will bite back_.

The Kita Clan learned this _long ago_. Their kekkei genkai was said to have come from the _Nibi_ , and if the user didn’t work _with_ their alter ego they ran the risk of being taking over by a feral and _angry_ beast on a warpath.

Why would being a Jinchūriki be any different?

Shuukaku shoved those thoughts away furiously, and focused on the little _chibi_ in front of her that obviously needed a gentle hand. She had heard whispers about the child as she had laid her seals around the village, so it was more than easy to put his name with a face now. “Gaara-kun, would you like to play when you’re finished?” she asked, falling out of her crouch and instead sitting on the ground in front of him and taking a bite out of her own treat.

He peered at her cautiously and asked quietly, “You want to play with me?”

She grinned and sang cheerily, “Course I do! Who wouldn’t want to play with such a cute _chibi_?” Of course, it would also allow her to steal him away for a bit to check his seal because she’d be damned if the fact the Jinchūriki undertone scent could overpower the jailer’s natural scent didn’t mean something was _wrong_.

Gaara looked at her as if she had just given him the best gift in the entire world.

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - May 7 - Sunagakure - Wind Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **Akiyama** Kazuki never thought he would _like_ a missing-nin, yet here he was.

“Here he is, safe and sound, just like I said in the note I left your Kazekage!” the crazy redhead said cheerfully as she presented a sleepy looking Gaara ( _the Jinchūriki_ \- his mind whispered - _just a child - respect lost - faith shaken - how could he_ do _that_?) to the only guard on the team sent for said child that actually _cared_.

She had noticed almost instantly that out of all the guards that had followed her and Gaara around in the village the other day, he was the only one that watched _her_ with a wary gaze and bristled every time she so much as got near the kid. It would’ve been hilarious if it weren’t for the fact that he was the _only one_ \- the others all watched _Gaara_ like he was about to snap and go on a murderous rampage. It made her blood boil and she had nearly given up her game just so she could murder the damn bastards and show them what a _true_ monster was.

Kazuki eyed the woman warily, but took the child into his arms, only mildly surprised when the usual lash of sand to protect, didn’t happen. Gaara looked at the dark haired man with narrowed eyes, gaze flickering over to the strange woman who smiled at him warmly and reassuringly. His lips pulled into a little frown and he peered at the man more closely and with a start realized he _recognized_ him.

Yashamaru- _jisan_ had a picture of his mother’s team on one of the mantles and the man had been one of her students. Gaara had learned not to ask about the picture and who was in it though, because Yashamaru- _jisan_ got _weird_ when he did.

“And _why_ exactly did you kidnap the Kazekage’s _son_?” Kazuki asked the woman warily, eyes narrowed, and voice only slightly muffled from the scarf he wore that covered the lower half of his face. He knew he probably wouldn’t get an answer, and he would die if he tried to force her. He wasn’t _stupid_ \- he _knew_ he was outclassed.

The woman’s lips stretched into a feral grin, showing off canines that greatly resembled a cat’s ( _and that right there was mildly terrifying and kind of a turn on - like seriously they could probably rip out his throat or leave the prettiest hickeys in the world and - kami-sama his dick had to_ stop _leading his thoughts down into the gutter -_ ) and she purred, “His seal was a disaster beyond all belief and your _Kazekage_ was stupid to think that kind of seal would make a weapon that would _work_.”

Kazuki very carefully _didn’t_ tense, mindful of the child in his arms currently watching the two of them with blank eyes. (he had to bite back the retort of Gaara _not being a weapon_ \- he was a _child_ \- but his Kazekage believed otherwise and to speak such words would be borderline treasonous in that man’s eyes-) “What does that have to do with you _kidnapping_ him?” he asked warily, fighting the urge to hold Gaara tighter and shield him from the woman’s gaze.

Her grin only seemed to widen and her eyes practically _glowed_ as she purred roughly, “I fixed it.”

Kazuki couldn’t stop the incredulous sputter from escaping even if he tried. The surprised burst of laughter was the same. “You-,” he started, wheezing and trying not to just laugh uproariously. “You _stole_ Gaara- _sama_ so you could _fix_ his _seal_?”

(he very carefully didn’t think about how he was supposed to report this to his Kazekage - _damnit_ )

She huffed crossing her arms (which pushed her rather generous chest up and enhanced her cleavage - he stared a bit _so sue him_ ) and puffing her cheeks out in a huff, “That seal was a blight on every seal in the world! You people obviously have no _idea_ what true seal work is and whoever did that one should have their throat ripped out and never touch another seal again!”

He bit his cheek to prevent the (rather hysterical) laughter from escaping as she continued to rant about the shoddy work of the Jinchūriki seal that Chiyo- _sama_ did. (He would _pay_ to see her say it to that old bat’s _face_ \- or even the _Kazekage’s_ -) “Shuu- _nee_?”

Kazuki startled a little, glancing down at Gaara with wide eyes at the suffix attached to the woman’s name (at least he assumed it was her name? Shuu was a little weird of one, but to each their own he guessed). Instantly, the woman (Shuu??) stopped her ranting and her countenance softened into something that kind of made his knees weak (why, oh, _why_ did he develop crushes on people of unattainable status?). “Yes, _koneko_?” she answered, the endearment rolling off her tongue easily, and in the back of her mind Ghost purred happily.

“Will you come back?” the child asked shyly, ducking his head and peering up at her through his bangs and fingers twisted in Kazuki’s tunic.

Kazuki twitched at the question, and decided right then and there that he was _not_ going to report the connection his _son_ had developed with a _missing-nin_. In fact, he mused darkly and eyes narrowing the slightest bit, he was going to protect his _sensei’s_ son, even if it meant lying and defying his Kage. It was about time he reminded _Rasa_ of a few important truths.

“I might,” Shuukaku responded, face serious as she continued, “But it won’t be for a long time, _koneko_. I have a lot of very important things to do before I’d be able to visit you.” Gaara nodded solemnly, and Shuukaku smiled, reaching out and ruffling his hair and adding, “Besides, you have Kazuki- _nii_ here to keep you company while I’m away!”

Kazuki blinked at her owlishly, wondering where the _hell_ she learned his _name_. A tug on his tunic had him blinking down at Gaara, who was looking at him solemnly, and when he had the man’s attention asked seriously, “Are you my new _niisan_?”

Kazuki stared down in the eyes that were identical to his _sensei’s_ and felt his resolve to protect this child harden into something that would never break. “If you so wish, Gaara-sama,” he answered just as seriously. Gaara nodded and when both returned to look at the strange missing-nin, they found her nowhere in sight.

(he very carefully didn’t think about the implications of her easy disappearance without him even _noticing_ )

“Let’s go home, Gaara-sama,” he said instead, adjusting his hold on the child to a more secure one, and only moving when the child gave his agreement.

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - May 13 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **Danzou** frowned heavily at the report in his hand, jaw clenched and eyes narrowed. He had thought he had _gotten rid of that damn girl_. But here he had the four profiles of the damn girl from four different Bingo Books. Kirigakure had been the first one to give her a page, sighting her as an S-Class threat and wanted _alive_. Kumogakure had a very similar page, but wanted her killed on sight. _Sunagakure_ even made a page for her and had a _flee on sight_ order.

Hiruzen (the old _fool_ ) had even changed the girl’s page in their Bingo Book as a capture alive target rather than the previous _kill_ on sight order. When questioned about it, the old monkey only gave vague answers, and it was nearly driving Danzou _spare_.

How could he have misjudged the girl so badly?

And just _what_ was she planning?

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - May 30 - Amegakure - Rain Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **Shuukaku** sulked into a bowl of hōtō soup, glaring sullenly out at the rain pouring outside the shop. She liked rain well enough - as long as she was _inside_ not _outside_. She had noticed almost immediately that the rain was different from natural though, but couldn’t figure out what was _wrong_ with it. So she had decided to play it safe and only placed her seals _inside_ buildings, well away from the rain.

She was uneasy in this village, and with the added rain, she was wary of lingering any longer than she actually had too. The security of this village told her something was going on, and the constant surveillance on her was close to driving her to a mindless slaughter. She _hated_ being watched. It itched under her skin and made it _crawl_ \- and now it only reminded her that she was _alone_.

( _Takeo and Kiyoshi weren’t there to watch her back - or distract her from the stares - and Inoichi-sensei wasn’t there with his gentle countenance that eased the threat of a rampage from her -_ it _ached_ )

She shook the thoughts away violently, face smoothing out in a blank mask, and continued to eat her bowl of soup. (the specialty dish was _okay_ \- but so far she enjoyed the lizard tongue from Suna the most aside the ramen from Konoha) She had wandered most of the village already, but hadn’t been able to go anywhere she _really_ wanted to simply because of the surveillance kept on her and the oddity of the rain. She couldn’t just slip into Stealth Mode, either, because her watchers would notice her suddenly _disappearing_ \- and that would only raise the alarm.

The redhead frowned mentally coming to the conclusion that she was probably going to have to do something extremely _stupid_.

 

**V**

 

 **Alarms** blared behind her as the red head bolted straight across the lake surrounding the village, and she forced the panic clawing at her throat down and did something that was probably going to get more attention than she actually _really_ wanted right now. She took a deep breath and then delved into her chakra.

There was a _surge_ and the blinding whiteness of her chakra burst forth, cloaking her in its power in a physical manifestation. It hovered around her body, forming itself into a cat like figure with ears and a tail, and wicked looking claws. Ghost flowed to the front of her conscious seamlessly, and with a twist of her mentality she sunk into her kekkei genkai.

Ghost pushed forward, speed increasing to almost impossible levels, and their form simply barreled through any obstacle that appeared in front of them, ripping through water geysers like paper and smacking shinobi out of the way like flies. Ghost was close to the edge of the lake, and thus close to being able to escape entirely, when a cloaked figure landed in front of them.

Reflexes were the only thing that allowed them to dodge the foot heading for their face. They fell to the surface of the lake, eyes wide and glowing a bright gold while their tail lashed out behind them in agitated fear. This man was dangerous.

They would have to be _extremely lucky_ to survive this fight, they realized, earlier panic threatening to take over completely.

This man was on a whole other level, and it was with a rising trepidation that they realized this was Amegakure’s _god_ , Pein.

“ _Fuck_ ,” they growled, bristling and chakra thrumming nervously. The man seemed almost innocuous despite the many piercings, and _orange_ hair ( _Nishiki - he’s_ dead? _\- oh kami-sama Kei -_ Hachi-), but the power that radiated off the man had their hair standing on end and instinct telling them to either _play dead_ or _run_.

The man stared at them passively, and then raised a hand. They didn’t have any time to react before they were flung away and speeding over the water of the lake, before skimming off the surface harshly and then crashing with a humongous splash. Chakra sparked violently, and then they were rushing to the surface and thrown to the sky by some unknown force, and they _howled_.

The call echoed, and Pein blinked slightly in shock, before the chakra surrounding the strange woman _surged_ and the chakra cloak around her practically _exploded_. The cloak grew in size and the tail lashed out with a speed that surprised him, and it slammed into his stomach, sending _him_ flying. He flipped through the air and landed on the lake, quickly trying to get his eyes on his opponent again.

Except he couldn’t see or _sense_ them.

There was the faintest whisper of air and it was only his reflexes that made him lash out with one of his black receivers. There was the give of flesh and a grunt of pain, before a gush of blood splattered into the water of the lake. There was a flicker and then the woman reappeared, chakra cloak hovering over her ominously, and the receiver was shoved straight through her back and sticking out the front.

His chakra roared forward, and at the same time a strange glow emanated from the area the receiver had pierced. There was a high pitched screeching sound, and Pein only had a split second to jerk back violently, tearing the receiver out in the process, before he could be hit by volatile chakra. The cloak’s tail lashed out, and he dodged the attack about to retaliate, but the look on her face made him pause.

She was staring at him with wide eyes, clutching her wound from the front, and the markings all over her body were glowing. “You-,” she started, before coughing violently, blood spilling past her lips. Her chakra sunk in closer to her, a faint growl echoing from nowhere. The redhead gave him an unreadable look before she ran, surprisingly fast for being close to mortally wounded.

And he let her.

 

**V**

 

 **“Why** did you let her go?” Konan asked, tone blandly curious.

Nagato hummed, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “She could prove to be useful,” he finally rasped. He wouldn’t admit that he was puzzled by the look she had given him. Now that he could study it in his mind’s eyes, he realized that the emotions he hadn’t recognized were ones of _familiarity_. Like she _knew_ him somehow.

And it had only happened after he had sent his own chakra into her via his receiver. Except that the strange seal that his weapon had pierced had negated any of the usual suppression the receiver did. And it had lashed back out violently. If he hadn’t dodged the blast he would have been burned, more than likely to a crisp.

It was intriguing.

Especially that strange chakra cloak she had. She wasn’t a Jinchūriki, but he had never seen or heard of any other technique that could replicate that kind of power.

Konan eyed him and then asked, “And the information she somehow managed to gather?”

Nagato twitched slightly at that. No one knew how she had managed to break into the secure files, but the information she had no doubt gained made her a _huge_ risk and danger to the Akatsuki and Amegakure. It had been the whole reason why _he_ had gone after her. To let her go was a risk he really couldn’t afford if it backfired on him. He frowned, and thought over what he knew about the strange woman.

It had been easy to recognize her as the newest threat to the Shinobi Villages - the so called _Uzumaki no Yūrei_. Each blurb about her in the books stated that she had managed to steal village secrets, and each village had labelled her as an S-Class threat, though their methods of dealing with her varied. It was a wonder no one had managed to realize that she _was_ in nearly every shinobi village bingo book.

That kind of threat wasn’t usual.

There was also the fact that there was no sign of a headband detailing her village of origin - and she had quite frankly appeared out of nowhere a few months ago.

Yet, despite having dirt on the villages, she didn’t _do_ anything with that information.

“I don’t believe she is a threat, yet,” he finally answered carefully. “We may be able to recruit her.”

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - July 18 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **“She** has a page in the _Amegakure_ Bingo Book?” Kiyoi asked incredulously, mouthful of noodles in her chopsticks halfway to her mouth. Garou was staring at Naoki, his own chopsticks halfway to his mouth, except the piece of tempura that had been held had fallen back down to his plate.

Naoki nodded, expression serene. “Yes, and from what Senka- _san_ has told me, she also has pages in the Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Kirigakure, _and_ Yugakure books as well.”

Garou’s mouth fell open and he sputtered, “How the _fuck_ did she manage _Yugakure_? They’re not even a shinobi village anymore!”

Naoki shrugged, “No idea. They give no reason in their page, only a hefty reward if captured alive _or_ dead.”

“Holy _shit_ ,” Kiyoi muttered, wide eyed.

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - July 2 - Kusagakure - Grass Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **The** stasis seal that Akira had taught her was the only thing keeping her from bleeding out entirely, her own somewhat enhanced healing only taking things so far. If she had been healthy it only would have taken her ten hours to get to Kusagakure, but between her wound and exhaustion it took her closer to 24 hours to reach the village. It was a bitch trying to sneak in without getting caught and finding the woman she was looking for.

Rumors of a miracle healer had reached her from the towns between Ame and Kusa (along with a ton of other gossip that proved to be rather _interesting_ as she spammed her seals wherever she went - so civil war), and she was desperate enough to go chasing after a rumor to get healed since it was the closest one she knew of. (it wasn’t like she could miraculously find Tsunade- _hime_ \- somewhere a blonde woman sneezed violently and promptly won the jackpot of slots)

The rather ramshackle home she stumbled into through a back window was not one she would’ve expected from a highly praised miracle healer, but by that point she was nearly delirious trying to keep the stasis seal working and the blood she had already lost. She stumbled into a table and something shattered on the floor, and she only had time to blink down at the glass all over the floor in confusion, before she was tackled to the floor by a small body.

Shuukaku cussed violently, concentration slipping and the stasis seal shattered completely, making the pain surge violently, and blood started gushing once more. “ _Fuck_!” she hissed weakly, hands scrambling to press against the wound, and trying to breathe as shallowly as she could through the pain.

There was a high pitched scream, and the small body scrambled off of her, making her moan in anguish, and close her eyes tightly. “Karin!” another voice shouted, and there was only a whisper of feet against the floor - “Oh!”

The redhead turned her head weakly, vision blurry, and managed to gasp out weakly, the word taking nearly everything she had, “Healer?”

The other woman’s eyes widened, before narrowing in determination, and she held out her wrist, pressing it against Shuukaku’s lips and ordering, “ _Bite_.” By that point, the kunoichi didn’t even care, and, with probably more force than necessary, bit the offered wrist, canines sinking into the pale flesh easily. There was a beat and then chakra _surged_.

Shuukaku furrowed her brow when she got a taste of the chakra, recognizing it for the Uzumaki flavor it was. Her wound was already half-way healed when she felt the chakra being fed into her flagging greatly and to near dangerous levels. With a twist of her _own_ chakra she fed it back into the woman, being careful to keep most of her Uzumaki tags to the forefront of the chakra, then her Kita tags.

When she felt her wound heal completely, she carefully let go of the wrist she had bitten, and stared at the supposed miracle healer. “Uzumaki?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

The woman smiled serenely, none of her obvious exhaustion showing, and returned, “As are you.”

Shuukaku barked out a short laugh, “More or less. Shuukaku.”

“Uzumaki Yukako,” the woman replied, before motioning to the child clutching at her skirts and glaring confusedly at Shuukaku. “And this is my daughter Karin.”

“Nice tackle, _koneko_ ,” Shuukaku laughed, rubbing at her wound absently as she gingerly sat up, frowning at the puddle of blood now on the floor. She grinned sheepishly at the duo and offered, “I can clean that up?”

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - July 20 - Kusagakure - Grass Country_ **

**  
V**

 

 **“I’m** stealing the box,” Shuukaku announced cheerfully at the table.

Yukako only smiled serenely and asked mildly, “Oh?”

The other redhead continued to smile wildly and answered, “They stole it from us, and they have no right to have it.” Yukako blinked at that, placing her chopsticks down and staring at the woman that had been living with them for almost two weeks now. Karin was still asleep in bed, the morning still young, so it would be best to talk about an issue now rather than later.

“So you will be leaving, Shuukaku-chan?” the older woman asked, gazing seriously at the teenager, who stared back with a rather wild look.

“I was never going to stay, I told you that,” she responded shrewdly, setting her own chopsticks down deliberately.

Yukako sighed, “I know, and I don’t expect you too.”

“But?” Shuukaku asked, eyes narrowed.

The Uzumaki sighed again, her fingers dancing across the table, and then finally saying, “If something ever happens to me, I want you to take Karin with you.”

Shuukaku stared.

 

**V**

 

 **_You_ ** _should never have stolen from the Uzumaki - I’m taking back what’s mine._

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - August 3 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **“She** did what?”

“Nailed Kusagakure as well,” Hachimitsu informed him blandly.

Kakashi kind of stared. “Is she trying to take over the entire Elemental Nation?” he asked incredulously, trying not to gape. (Because, really, he could totally see her doing just that.) It was one thing to be known by foreign villages for your prowess and the like, but to gain a Bingo Page in nearly every shinobi village (Yugakure notwithstanding) and labelled as an S-Class threat was something else entirely.

Hachimitsu hummed, and replied, “She might be, how would I know?”

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly. What was wrong with the world?

 

**V**

 

 **Hiruzen** stared down at the reports in his hand blankly. What the _hell_ was Kita Shuukaku _planning_? Resisting the urge to slam his head against his desk, he simply sighed and ordered his secretary, “Get me Yamanaka Inoichi, please.”

Hopefully the teenager’s _sensei_ could shed some light on just _what_ was going on in her head.

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - August 5 - Takigakure - Waterfall Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **“Excuse** me,” Kijmuta Tashiro asked, hiding his nervousness behind a mask of no emotion. The strange red haired woman that had appeared in the village somehow, looked up from where she was enjoying a bowl of their special soba noodles.

“Yes?” she answered, after slurping the noodles already in her mouth up.

He swallowed and asked, “Who are you?”

She blinked at him mildly, keeping their eyes caught as she slurped more noodles. “Uzumaki Shuukaku,” she answered after a long pause.  

Tashiro coughed, and asked, more warily this time, “And how did you get into the village?”

She raised an eyebrow slowly, still keeping their eyes locked as she drank the last of the broth in her bowl. “Through the gate?” she answered idly, her tone clearly implying he was an _idiot_.

“But - _how_ did you get into the village?” he demanded, finally getting flustered as he found himself unable to look away from her gaze.

“The _cave_ , obviously,” she replied blandly, dropping money on the counter, and right in front of his eyes _disappeared_.

Tashiro gave in to the urge to hide his face in his hands and whimper.

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - August 13 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **“Shuukaku-san** is scary,” Uchiha Ito said blandly, staring at his blonde teammate with a deadpan stare. Their other teammate, Kimura Shouhei, was currently on the floor laughing his head off and clutching his stomach.

Senka shrugged, pouring herself another glass of the famous snake wine from Kusagakure, and then refilling Ito’s, who took the cup begrudgingly. “I’m pretty sure there’s probably some sort of law against using gifts from missing-nin,” Shouhei wheezed, as he finally got over his fit of laughter and sat back up, taking his own glass. His lips were stretched in a snake like smirk, eyes glittering with humor.

Senka shrugged again, “I’m not going to say no to good alcohol.”

“Here, here,” their _sensei_ muttered from the other side of the room, his own glass of wine sitting at his elbow.

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - August 29 - Iwagakure - Earth Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **“Oh?** That’s interesting,” Shuukaku muttered, spooning another mouthful of blood pudding into her mouth as she wandered the village, illusion seal set for a nondescript Iwagakure civilian. She had known peripherally that the Jinchūriki hadn’t been seen since the Second Shinobi War, but she never would have guessed that the village had basically _kicked_ them out.

Oh they didn’t say it, but Shuukaku knew how to look underneath the underneath, and there was no way the Jinchūriki left the village by their own choice. It would be something to look into anyways - she had met pretty much every Jinchūriki so far, what was two more?

There was an explosion somewhere to her left, and now curious she slipped into Stealth and headed in that direction. The cause of the explosion was a long haired blonde, who was cackling wildly as he ran away from a yelling old man that was _probably_ the Yondaime Tsuchikage. The boy ran past her, only just managing to weave past her rather than barreling into her and she got a strong whiff of his scent as he went and _oh-_

He smelled like fire and clay and _hers_.

Ghost rumbled from the back of her mind, and she turned gold eyes to watch the blonde as he ran, still cackling. The Oden Clan had a habit of taking in strays, and most of the time it was because of scent. There was that touch of _theirs_ and they often snatched the owner of the scent - within reason ( _most of the time_ ).

And he - he was _hers_.

But-

Unless he went rogue, she’d never be able to have him.

Ghost growled unhappily within her, and she frowned. Even if she couldn’t steal him away from his village, there was nothing stopping her from discovering everything about him. She had to break into the Tsuchikage’s office anyway, so.

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - September 9 - Numata - Earth Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **“Hah!** I was right!” a teenager with violently red hair exclaimed as she swung down from a roof and landed next to him with a wide grin. Rōshi eyed her warily - he hadn’t sensed her until she was right on top of him - and for a shinobi as old as he was that was nearly unheard of.

“Right about what, _gaki_?” he asked in return, hand sliding to his back to rest on the curved kunai he had there. He noted she had three swords strapped to her back, two that were identical to each other, and one that differed. She also had a large scroll at the small of her back, but there was no village headband anywhere that he could see, and the red hair she sported was sending alarm bells ringing through his head.

Her lips twisted in a wild grin that showcased rather pointed canines, and she sung cheerfully, “That you’re still loyal to Iwagakure, of course!” She swayed on the spot, tapping her bottom lip with a clawed nail and added almost thoughtfully, “Not sure about Han, but I haven’t met him yet, so.”

Rōshi eyed her with narrowed eyes, fingers tightening around his kunai, and asked warily, “And what’s it to you, _gaki_?”

She peered at him, expression deceptively curious, and answered, “Nothing really, I was just curious. Do you talk to _Yonbi-san_?” Rōshi lashed out almost immediately, but she dodged the swing with a laugh, making no move to draw one of her own blades. “Maa, maa, it was just a question, Rōshi- _san_! I’m curious since you’ve been a Jinchūriki for a few decades, and the _only one_ for _Yonbi-san_.”

“How do you know that?” Rōshi demanded, taking another swing at her, but she dodged again, a wild grin stretched over her face once again. She skipped back away from him, and only wiggled her fingers at him in a wave before vanishing.

Rōshi frowned, casting his senses out, but finding no trace of her. Just who had been that _gaki_? She knew too much for being only a teenager, and with no visible village association? Something wasn’t right.

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - September 17 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**V**

 

 **Kei** blinked mildly at the group currently on her doorstep, surprised despite herself. Hyuuga Hizashi, Kenshin, and two children which she assumed were Hyuuga Hinata and Neji, stood there, Hizashi with a calm smile on his face, and Kenshin looking uncomfortable. Neji was clinging to his father’s hand with a death grip, while Hinata was shyly clinging to Kenshin’s pants.

“Hiashi said that he received an invitation for a kind of day care from you, Suzuki- _san_?” Hizashi asked calmly, looking like standing on the doorstep of a lower clan with the heiress to one of the noble clans was normal.

Kei stared, and then snorted roughly, “I sent that out _months_ ago, but the offer still stands. Come in.” She did shoot the two adults with a narrow eyed glare and stated, “There are Uchiha currently in this house, and if I hear any nonsense from _any_ of you, I will not be held responsible for my actions.”

Kenshin winced, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but there at that very moment, but his brother-in-law pushed him firmly in the back to enter. Hinata shuffled alongside him, peering around the house nervously, and grip tightening on the fabric she currently held. Neji kept pace with his father, face blank, but the still too tight grip he had on Hizashi’s hand gave away his nervousness. “ _Chibis_!” Kei called out, leading the group behind her into the living room, where the kids were currently grouped.

Naruto’s blonde mop of hair popped up from behind the couch, blue eyes curious, and not even a second later, Sasuke’s darker head of hair popped up as well, looking vaguely guilty. Shikamaru was sprawled out on top of the napping Shouhei, snoring his little heart out, while Chouji colored quietly on the floor in front of the two. Ino was humming cheerfully while she braided a resigned looking Ito’s hair, and Naoki was fiddling with some string while keeping one eye on the room as a whole.

The awake children all looked up at Kei’s call, looking curious, and the blue haired kunoichi flapped a hand at the two children behind her and introduced, “This is Hyuuga Neji and Hinata. They will be joining our little group from now on, so _be nice_.” The unspoken threat of no dessert hung in the air and all of them nodded their heads vigorously. She then glanced over at her cousin and said, “Watch them, I’m going to talk to these two.” Ito only looked mildly affronted at not being asked to do so too.

Kei then knelt down in front of the two new children, and said gently, “My name is Suzuki Kei, but you can just call me Kei or Kei- _nee_. The blonde boy is Uzumaki Naruto, and the boy next to him is Uchiha Sasuke. The blonde lady over there is Yamanaka Ino, and the two boys over there are Akimichi Chouji and Nara Shikamaru, respectively. The man with string is Kurama Naoki, and the dark haired one is Uchiha Ito. The lump on the couch with Shikamaru is Kimura Shouhei. They can show you the things you can do, and if you need any help you can ask any of the adults, okay?”

Hinata warmed up to the kunoichi easily, shyly letting go of Kenshin’s pants and smiling quietly. Kei nudged her towards Ino gently, and the blonde easily came forward and pulled the smaller girl with her back to Ito, who slumped and resigned himself to having two little girls play with his hair. Neji seemed like nothing would move him from his spot next to his father, but Naruto was a force of nature unto himself and had the other boy pulled away and into whatever disaster him and Sasuke were no doubt cooking up.

Kei rolled her eyes and motioned for the two older Hyuuga’s to follow her into the kitchen, face settling into a blank mask that made Kenshin’s skin crawl. Kei leaned against the counter, crossing her arms and leveling them a narrowed stare, “So, what made your lot decide to finally accept my invitation?”

Kenshin carefully didn’t look at her, while Hizashi simply gave her a calm smile and responded easily, “I convinced my brother it would be in his best interest to accept the invitation.”

“Oh? And why is it in his best interest?” Kei questioned idly.

Hizashi continued to smile as he answered, “Well, we couldn’t be the _only_ clan to not accept, especially when the _Uchiha_ already have.” He narrowed his eyes slightly, and his smile disappeared into a more serious expression, as he continued, “I also reminded him that _he_ has a debt to Minato to repay, as _I_ have one to our mutual feline friend.”

Kei peered at him silently, no indication of her thoughts anywhere, before she laughed.

 

**V**

 

**_Year 106 - October 5 - Gakegakure - ???_ **

 

**V**

 

 **Shuukaku** hadn’t meant to go so far out past the known borders, but she had.

And she was utterly confused.

There were virtually _no_ records of there being any kind of civilization past the borders aside from some small towns, and a nomadic people. Certainly no record of there being a _shinobi_ village.

Scratching the back of her head, she spun around in a slow circle taking in the rather unorthodox village. It was a maze of tunnels built in the side of two cliffs, connected by sturdy bridges or pathways (which, much to her horror, most had no railings). However, it was bustling with life and people, and was obviously a prospering village, despite being far, far away from any other civilization.

“Would you like to try our specialty dish, miss?” a friendly voice called out from her left, making her turn eagerly at the prospect of food.  

She took the proffered dish with a smile, giving back the requested money, and bit into the treat with a pleased hum. She paused slightly when reading the name of the food, but shrugged and continued eating it anyways. (Fried tarantulas weren’t _that_ weird, right?)

“Hoh, red hair? Haven’t seen that in a fucking long time,” a messy haired girl drawled lazily, slouching and giving the food stall a narrowed eyed glare.

Shuukaku blinked back mildly, popping what was probably a leg in her mouth, and asking, “Is red hair that rare here?”

“It’s not so much _rare_ , as that particular shade of red hasn’t been seen in the village since our first leader,” another girl answered kindly, her blonde hair almost white in its paleness. She had a kind smile on her freckled face, and was flanked by a blank faced brunette, that was eyeing the food stall with just as narrowed eyes as the other dark haired girl.

Shuukaku shrugged and offered, “It runs on one side of my family.”

“Is that the Uzumaki Clan?” yet another woman asked, meandering over with a plate of dango, and offering said treat to the blank faced brunette. The two shared a marked resemblance, suggesting a close relation, probably sisters.

Shuukaku narrowed her eyes slightly and then answered somewhat cautiously, “Yes. How do you know of the Uzumaki? You’re rather... _far_ from Uzushio.”

“It’s because of our fucking first leader,” the first girl explained with a snort. “The man was fucking an Uzumaki man, and their clans were close for a period of time before other shit happened and contact was lost.”

The blank faced brunette rolled her eyes, and added dryly, “As _succinct_ as that fucking explanation _is_ , she left out the fact that out leader’s lover left behind his sword in our village’s care. It’s said to be cursed, though, because after our leader died, Uzumaki was never the same and its often said that he even went _mad_.”

“Oh, I think I know that,” Shuukaku realized. It had been one of the early stories in her scroll from before Uzumaki Ashina, the Shodai Uzukage. The Uzumaki in question was Uzumaki Hideaki, and he was known for his skills with the sword and his fuinjutsu talent with metal. Since the Uzumaki Clan had always been vast and diverse, there hadn’t been much concern with who one took in their beds, and sometimes it was often encouraged to lie with the same sex since it lessened the chance of unexpected pregnancies outside of marriage.

“Uzumaki Hideaki, right? If I remember our records properly, his blade was called _Muramasa_ , wasn’t it?” she added, eating the last bit of her treat, and wondering at the four wide eyed stares she was currently receiving. “What?”

“No one’s ever known their names,” the oldest woman said, voice surprised.

The dark haired girl narrowed her eyes and then asked, “Do you think she could fucking take the sword? The thing’s been a fucking menace since Uzumaki fucking died, may the bastard rest in fucking _peace_. I’m pretty fucking sure _Jiji_ will be _ecstatic_ to get rid of the shitty thing.”

The blonde girl ran a hand over her face with a groan, muttering, “You have _no_ decorum, Higure.”

“You want a fucking cursed sword, Uzumaki?” the blank face brunette asked as if it was a perfectly normal question to ask a complete stranger.

There was a beat where the blonde let out another moan, before Shuukaku shrugged and said, “Sure, why the fuck not.”

 

**V**

 

 **“You** are without a doubt the most fucking badass ever,” Higure pronounced, when Shuukaku took the blade from the shrine, completely bypassing all talisman and seals that surrounded the thing. The malevolent aura that was being contained by said markers seemed to not even register on the redhead’s radar, and Higure had thrown up the one time she had gotten a taste of it.

“Agreed,” the blank faced girl (who had introduced herself as Ishihara Shoushi) said, looking rather impressed.

The blonde (Tanigawa Reimei) only managed to mutter out in shock, “How the _fuck_?”

“Do you want to join our village?” an aging man asked eagerly, a large grin plastered on his face as he bounced on the balls of his feet like a child. He bore a striking resemblance to Higure, and had introduced himself as Nagata Hakumei, the current head of the village.

The older woman that had been with the three girls (Ishihara Mahiru - Shoushi’s older sister as it turned out) sighed tiredly, and with an obviously practiced tone of long suffering said, “N _o_ , Hakumei- _sama_. She already has a village, if you _remember_.”

Shuukaku smiled at them mildly, running her fingers of the fine blade now in her hands (and it _sang_ under her touch - delirious over being in the hands of an Uzumaki once more). “I must decline, Nagata- _sama_. I am loyal to one place only, and that is not here,” the redhead answered, tone faintly apologetic. Maybe in another life she would’ve said yes (she would have definitely fit in with the rather colorful people that made up the village), but in _this_ one her home was _Konohagakure_ , and that wasn’t going to change anytime soon.

Hakumei pouted and sighed, “Oh, _alright_.” Higure gave him a disgusted look, not for the first time wondering how the _hell_ she was related to the fucking crazy old man.

“Will you at least stay of the festival?” Shoushi asked flatly, eyeing the blade being caressed by the red haired woman apprehensively.

Shuukaku laughed, and answered, “Why not?”

 

**V**

 

 **“Eh?** I’m not the first Uzumaki to show up here before?” Shuukaku asked, surprised.

Mahiru shook her head and answered, “The girls were too young to remember, but a man had come here before. His hair was the same shade of red as yours, but he had amnesia. Only thing the poor bastard remembered was his given name, Haruki. We all kind of figured he was an Uzumaki, though, with the hair and skill with seals.”

Shuukaku stared, “Did you just say _Haruki_?”

Mahiru blinked at her in surprise, but nodded, “Yeah, Haruki. Why? You know him?”

The Uzumaki sunk into her chair, fighting back a rather hysterical laugh. “He was my _bachan’s_ dad. Before she- she never knew what happened to him; _obaachan_ didn’t know either, though she never gave up hope that he was out there somewhere. It’s just - I never expected to -,” she trailed off, a somewhat bitter laugh escaping her. “I had hoped he _was_ alive but I never actually thought I _would_ find proof of it. I don’t - how long ago was this?”

“About eight years ago,” Mahiru answered with an apologetic look. “He didn’t stay here long either; no more than a few months. He always seemed like he was looking for something, but could never answer what. He was headed back for the continent when he left, I know that at least. I had the impression he knew he had gone too far west.” She shrugged a little, looking upset she couldn’t give Shuukaku more information. “I’m sorry I can’t give you much else.”

The younger woman shook her head, “No, you’ve given me _more_ than enough. I never thought I would actually find _anything_. I’m travelling around enough I should be able to actually find a trail.” She gave Mahiru a piercing look and said solemnly, “ _Thank you_.”

The brunette looked a little embarrassed at that, but accepted it nonetheless.

Shuukaku _never_ would’ve guessed _amnesia_ was the reason behind Uzumaki Haruki’s disappearance. Depending on how he gained that amnesia (if she ever actually _found_ him), she would have to track down Tsunade- _hime_. If it was physical trauma, there was a chance the medic would be able to _heal_ the man.

(somewhere back in Fire Country a blonde woman sneezed and subsequently won the grand prize of a lottery raffle)

 


	5. Chapter 5

**DEFUNCT**

[dih- **fuhngkt** ]

_adjective_

1\. no longer in effect or use; not operating or functioning

2\. no longer in existence; dead; extinct

**|**

**Summary:** You never know when an Uzumaki will cause chaos. _[So. You’re a missing-nin. Now what?]_

 **Genre:** Action/Adventure/Humor

 **Warning (s):** crack level humor taken seriously; what-if scenarios; ninjas; violence/gore; unhealthy coping mechanisms; skewed morality; endangerment of minors; alteration of canon events; minor angst; historical bullshit; technical bullshit; screwing with the timeline because of Kiri/Zabuza; underage sex; reference to sex; past reference to underage sexual acts; other things I can’t think of off the top of my head right now

**|**

_Chapter Five:_ The Logic of an Oden

**|**

**_Year 107 - January 8 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

**|**

**Sarutobi** Hiruzen stared at the piles of paperwork on his desk and came to the horrified conclusion that the paperwork had been _multiplying_ in the past three years.

 _With no explanation_.

There was a brief knock on his door before it swung open to reveal Kita Masuyo, holding yet another stack of towering papers and a lovely smile on her face. “Here’s the mission desk paperwork that needs your signature, Hokage- _sama_ ,” the auburn haired chunin announced, not one ounce of sympathy in her voice or face. In fact, her smile was rather frosty now that she was closer to him, and her eyes were glinting with something rather _aggressive_.

As the woman placed the pile on his desk, Hiruzen came to a startling conclusion.

The reason for his sudden increase in paperwork was mostly due to the twelve members of the Oden Clan in the administrative, or otherwise, departments, and that wasn’t even counting the various other members of those branches that were close friends with the Clan. And the _reason_ for their passive-aggressiveness was because of one Kita Shuukaku.

None of them believed the teenager betrayed their village, and were blaming _him_ for her subsequent defection.

Hiruzen stared at the smiling chunin currently in his office, and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

_Dear kami-sama he was doomed._

**|**

**“You** left ANBU?” Kei questioned softly, somehow not surprised that Gai had come to her house to tell her such news. She wasn’t _stupid_ . She knew the man was in love with her - had been for a long time - she just never called attention to it. She still wouldn’t - not now; maybe _never_ \- Nishiki’s death was still an open wound in her heart and she wasn’t positive it would ever heal.

When anyone a part of the Suzuki or Kurama Clans loved, they loved _deep_ and they loved _hard_. It wasn’t often that any member of the clans ever took another lover after the death of one - and if their feelings were never reciprocated? - well, they tended to subject themselves to a lonely life. They were a lot like the Uchiha Clan in that way - but their feelings rarely ever turned towards such deep hatred.

Gai merely nodded, silent for once and in a rare solemn mood. He wasn’t sure if his choice was the right one - was he any use to the village outside of ANBU?

The man was knocked from such thoughts by Kei flicking him on the cheek. He turned startled eyes towards the frowning woman, and she rolled her eyes. “You’re useful, Gai,” she said firmly. “ANBU or not - that won’t change. You just have to find another role.”

He gave her a rather brittle smile, and jerked when she tugged him down to rest his face in the crook of her neck and shoulder. She tangled her fingers in his hair and dragged them down to the floor of her room, wondering when she had become the one to give out comfort. “You’ll figure it out,” she murmured, fiddling with the hair on his neck. “You always do.”

Gai screwed his eyes shut, heart swelling with so much emotion he couldn’t even _begin_ to name (and he tried desperately to ignore the bitterness of unreciprocated love). It seemed no matter how much time passed - or distance - he never failed to find something about this wonderful, _beautiful_ woman to fall in love with all over again.  

(even though he knew she would never - _could never_ \- fall in love with _him_ )

“Help me out with the kids for a while,” Kei said after a moment, warming up to the idea now that she had said it out loud. “You could help me corral them and help with their homework or something.” In all honesty, she could really use the help. Most of the time she had at least one or two of her friends in the village to help her out with the group, but that wasn’t always the case and she sometimes got stuck with the kids by herself.

She didn’t take many missions any more, sticking to helping her _sensei_ with strategies and the like in the offices. It wasn’t something she overly _enjoyed_ , but she couldn’t bring herself to leave the village as often anymore. Her team was slowly building their bonds back up, but things were still strained with Kenshin and at this point only time would tell if they would ever be as close as before.

The gaping hole Nishiki had left in her life with his death was something she still struggled with - and the kids only helped so much. She often found herself turning to tell Nishiki about her day or to ask for his help only to turn towards air and an empty space. It took everything she had some days to even get out of _bed_.

Naruto helped the most, but sometimes it just wasn’t enough.

She didn’t see Hachimitsu often either - it was too painful for the both of them. Besides Shuu, there wasn’t anyone else that had been _that close_ to her and she found herself floundering without those pillars, and struggling to keep crumbling ones intact.

“...I think…,” Gai started in a low mumble, still pressed against her shoulder, and arms winding around her waist in a loose grip. “...that would be rather youthful.”

Kei couldn’t help the snort that escaped her, fighting back the dry sobs that wanted to escape all of sudden. “That was _so_ bad and it wasn’t even _intentional_ ,” she gasped, pressing her face against the top of his head.

**|**

**_Year 107 - January 16 - Kikonai Village - Claw Country_ **

**|**

**Uzumaki** Haruki’s trail had started to fade a bit by the time she reached Claw Country. She hadn’t really expected to even get _that_ far on a trail that was over eight years old, but red hair that bright was always a rather distinctive trait. A lot of people tended to be rather helpful too, provided she did something in return (which she didn’t mind as most of the time they paid her as well). It was a tedious and rather arduous undertaking, but she was determined to find the man even if it only led to finding a _skeleton_.

However, Kikonai Village was a border town to Wind Country, and if Haruki went southwest that meant he was somewhere in the vast emptiness that was the desert. If he went northeast, he either went in the direction of Earth Country, or Waterfall. She was banking on northeast, because he could’ve gone to the bay in search of Uzushio.

But if he managed to actually cross the bay? That would put him in Snow Country, and that was not somewhere a shinobi really wanted to go. The political climate in the country was rather unbalanced at the moment, and Kirigakure had been _more_ than enough for her. (she didn’t have to _go_ to the country to find out it was unbalanced)

Shuukaku groaned and let her head hit the bar counter she was currently sitting at. “This is fucking _ridiculous_ ,” she mumbled into the counter, glaring mulishly at the counter.

“This alcohol is ridiculous, but I’m not complaining,” a slightly muffled voice mused idly from next to her, making her turn her glare in that direction instead. It was another shinobi, though the way he was slumped over the counter, giving her a lidded stare would suggest otherwise.

She glowered at him and snorted roughly, “I wasn’t talking about the _alcohol_.”

His eyes crinkled, indicating he was smiling, though since he was wearing a medical face mask his eyes and eyebrows were the only real indication of any facial expression he made. “Maa, you’re pretty attractive with a glare, _Red_ ,” he drawled, straightening from his slump and instead resting his cheek on the palm of his hand and twisting slightly so he was facing her more.

Shuukaku blinked, slightly thrown by the flirt. “Excuse you, I’m _always_ attractive,” she snapped in response, not really able to come up with anything better. The last time she had flirted with _anyone_ had been -

She shook those thoughts away violently, now eyeing the man with an assessing eye. He _was_ rather alluring, and honestly, if he was willing, she could use the relaxation. She had been too high-strung and stressed out and hadn’t had any _real_ outlet for the energy. “Feisty too,” he rumbled, looking rather pleased, and pulling his face mask down. “Wanna have some fun?”

As far as any pick up line went, it wasn’t that great, but really, Shuukaku didn’t really care. She just wanted to stop thinking for a while.

So she shot him a hooded look and a sultry smile, and responded, “I’m _always_ up for some fun.”

He hummed, sounding pleased, and reached out to tug at her hair, slowly threading his fingers in the red locks. He tugged her forward, their faces inches apart ( _ohh_ red eyes - that _was_ -), and he breathed hotly, “Yuma, at your pleasure.”

She nipped at his bottom lip teasingly, and returned lowly, “Shuukaku, at _yours_.”

**|**

**Yuma** had his own place in the town, even though she _knew_ he was a shinobi, so she figured he was probably another missing-nin. She didn’t really care at the moment since he could lift her up with ease and pin her to the wall while he kissed her breath away. She gave as good as she got, not willing to be completely dominated ( _never - only Takeo and Kiyoshi had ever earned that right and chances were nobody would ever gain it again -_ ).

Unexpectedly, the man seemed to relish in that though, groaning in satisfaction and fingers tightening in their place around her hips. She gave a low purr in response, pulling away and tugging at his lip as she did. They both took a moment to catch their breath, and she wound her arms around his neck, tugging idly at his dreads.

His head dipped down and he nuzzled at her throat, and she tightened her fingers in his hair in silent warning. “Just fun, _red_ ,” he murmured, nosing just under her ear. “Got no grudge against you.”

“I would _hope_ not,” she grumbled in response, relaxing her grip on his hair, and instead locking her feet behind his back and pulling him flush against her. “I’m good,” she murmured, hitching her hips up.

He let out a low moan, fingers tightening further around her hips, and she let herself get lost in the sensations.

Yuma was a completely different type of lover compared to Takeo and Kiyoshi, that it was as thrilling as much as it made her breath hitch for an utterly different reason. Yuma was a fierce lover, marking up every inch of skin he possibly could, but he also growled out compliments that made her ears pink in both embarrassment and pleasure.

Kiyoshi had been a mostly silent lover, and any noise she and Takeo could draw out had been a delight, while Takeo had been an obscenely noisy lover (too which he was greatly embarrassed over when not in the heat of the moment). The difference between what the three of them had and what Yuma gave her was - the three of them had been each other’s firsts and they had been clumsy and inexperienced, but in love and determined - now she was older ( _they were dead_ ) and Yuma was _obviously_ experienced greatly and more than willing to share that knowledge.

Shuukaku let out a loud cry feeling all of her tension bleed away completely - and a little of the pain attached to the deaths of her teammates and lovers faded. The pain would never completely go away, but she could _let go_ of them a little. They were her past now, and no matter how much it hurt and whether or not she screamed and raged about it, that wouldn’t change in the now or in the future.

She let out a gasping breath, slumping over the darker man, and pleased he had made sure to not actually climax inside her. Even if she was on a contraceptive pill, she’d rather _not_ take the risk - her family was scarily fertile. “You are a _wild cat_ , _red_ ,” he drawled, sounding pleased about it.

The redhead grunted at him, tucking her head under his chin as he rolled them over to the other side of the bed. She let out a low purr, the familiar rumble soothing her a little. “That was good, Yuma,” she rumbled, nosing at his throat absently and inhaling his rich scent.

It wasn’t in any way familiar, but it was deep and soothing and reminded her of burning embers and the earth after rain. She relaxed a little more, sliding one of her legs between his, and closing her eyes. “Post coital cuddling?” he asked, sounding rather bemused.

Her eyes opened just a bit, glancing up at him, and she asked, voice slightly rough, “That alright?”

He blinked red eyes down at her, and then huffed out a laugh, wrapping his arms around her more securely and saying, “More than - I don’t get to cuddle often.”

She hummed, closing her eyes again. “Missing-nin life tends to do that,” she muttered, managing to sound only somewhat petulant. She _missed_ cuddling with her _pack_. Being able to surround herself with comforting scents and knowing she was _safe_ and _home_.

“You too?” he asked, tone deceptively light. She grunted, tightening her grip around him as if daring him to try and leave. He didn’t though, fingers running over the scar that marked where she had been run through back in Amegakure. “How did you heal this?”

“Found someone in Kusagakure,” she answered. “Kept it under a stasis seal until I could reach her; nearly bled out anyway, though.”

His hand flared a pale green, but his chakra didn’t extend into her body until she gave a tiny nod against his shoulder. “You need a minder,” he said, sounding amused, as his chakra probed at the wound and soothed the minor pains their recent activities had caused.

“You offering?”

It was only half-joking in question. If she could get a healer that didn’t require sneaking into a shinobi village every time she got too injured to take care of herself, it would be close to _kami-sama_ sent. And considering what she _was_ doing, it would be necessary. She didn’t have her sister at her back or Takeo ( _didn’t have_ anyone), so no one to help her out when she inevitably injured herself.

Yuma was silent, seriously considering the subtle offer. He was only a missing-nin because his village sent him on a mission he didn’t agree with and went against his personal code - which he had _marked_ on his record that he wouldn’t take those missions. He was a _healer_ more than he was an _assassin_.

But nobody really wanted a healer that was a _missing-nin_ \- they would much rather have the assassin.

“You’re Uzumaki Shuukaku, right?” he finally asked, just to make sure the fiery redhead _was_ who he thought she was.

She huffed out a little laugh, “If that’s what they’re calling me - I suppose I shouldn’t really use my clan name.”

“I _suppose_ I could be your _minder_ ,” he replied, sounding overly put upon. She let out another laugh, snorting against his neck and hiding her face in his shoulder. He grabbed her butt, and added mock seriously, “I definitely wouldn’t oppose to minding _this_ \- or those rather magnificent breasts of yours.” She swatted at his side half-heartedly, laughter muffled against his skin.

“Down boy,” she gasped out, lips stretched in a wide grin.

**|**

**_Year 107 - January 21 - Sunagakure - Wind Country_ **

**|**

**Kazuki** had not liked the order that the usual ANBU Guard that tailed Gaara- _sama_ was to leave the child unprotected ( _from himself and others_ ) that night. So, twisting the orders, the dark haired shinobi shed his ANBU attire and adorned the somewhat musty Jonin uniform. It had been many years since he’d worn the clothing, slipping away into ANBU entirely after his _sensei’s_ death. It had been a cold comfort, but with his newfound resolve, it was time to leave the shadows (if only for a little while).

Kazekage Rasa may have ordered the ANBU Guard _Crow_ to leave their post - but he had ordered nothing to _Jonin_ Akiyama Kazuki.

The Suna shinobi located his charge easily enough, the scorching chakra a beacon to his senses, and perched on a rooftop in the shadows to watch. The night was eerily silent, as if holding its breath, and Kazuki didn’t like it.

The months since that strange missing-nin had kidnapped Gaara- _sama_ had led to an even heavier tension between the village council and the Kazekage. The council wanted to have the child killed and the _Ichibi_ sealed into someone else - because who knew what that _missing-nin_ had actually done to the seal.

Except Rasa had outright _refused_ them.

And would not tell anyone _why_.

The sudden order to have the ANBU Guard removed, worried Kazuki, because if his gut feeling was _right_ \- Rasa was doing something he _shouldn’t_.

A flicker of chakra sparked against his senses, and he narrowed his eyes, recognizing the chakra. Gaara seemed to sense the chakra as well, and looked towards the fast approaching signature in confusion. The child sensed something wasn’t right and carefully kept walking his path. Even though Shuu- _nee_ had fixed his seal, he wasn’t used to sleeping, and would often wander the streets of his... _home_ , under the watchful eye of his Kazu- _nii_.

Kazuki frowned harshly, the expression hidden by his face mask and dark eyes narrowed dangerously as he moved closer to his charge. Yashamaru had _no business_ being out this late and at such a fast pace. When the other shinobi finally got within sight, Kazuki let out a vicious curse and leapt forwards.

Metal sparked as the kunai met the cold steel of his blade, and mindful of the child currently behind him, Kazuki _pushed_. His chakra surged down his arm and into his blade, and it was a testament to Yashamaru’s professionalism that he didn’t shout when the chakra _burned_. But he did _flinch_ , and the younger man took full advantage over that.

What most Suna shinobi seemed to forget about the Kazekage’s wife, was that she had been a kenjutsu master in her own right not just a wielder of the very desert around them. In fact, she had been a _dual_ wielder of the blade. And like any good _sensei_ she passed those skills down to her _students_.

Kazuki drew his other sword and swung, blade gleaming under the moonlight and the metal bit into soft flesh easily. Eyes narrowed in a cold calculation, Kazuki twisted the kunai out of Yashamaru’s hand, and with another flare of his chakra paralyzed the man. In the next second, before the other shinobi could fully realize what was happening, Kazuki had the blonde pinned to the ground and blade pressed against his throat.

In a deadly whisper, the dark haired shinobi hissed, “And why would you be attacking the Kazekage’s _son_ , hmm?”

Yashamaru stared at the younger man, feeling like he was seeing his beloved older sister’s student for the first time. The boy had always been rather lackluster in his conviction to do anything, and after the death of one of his teammates and the crippling of the other, he had seemed to fade away. He joined ANBU and just kind of _vanished_.

Yashamaru was ANBU - hell, he was the Yondaime Kazekage’s _right-hand man_ \- and yet, he had not heard a whisper about his sister’s student - not about his career in ANBU - his abilities, his missions, his _team_ \- and had simply assumed the shinobi had taken a suicide mission and never returned.

Except - he was _here_ and protecting his _nephew_.

“Ordered,” he managed to wheeze out without cutting his throat on the blade, shoving his shock into the back of his mind to think about later.

The dark yellow eyes narrowed dangerously, but whatever he was going to say was prevented by a pale hand tugging his tunic and a quiet whisper, “Kazu- _nii_? What’s going on?”

Kazuki hummed lowly, gaze cold, and answered absently, “I’m about to find out, Gaara- _sama_.”

**|**

**Rasa** knew an Uzumaki’s work when he saw one.

His grandfather had died young, but his grandmother had not. And Amatsuto Hideko was not one that would let her husband fade away. Haroushi Tatsuya was a civilian from Uzushio that had moved to Suna and subsequently met Hideko and fell in love. He wasn’t a seal expert by any means but (according to his grandmother) anyone who lived in Uzushio grasped sealing in some way at some point.

The reason for Rasa knowing an Uzumaki’s work, however, was because his grandfather’s mother had been an Uzumaki and his family still had some of the seal work around and in their home.

So when his son had been returned from being kidnapped (just as the note that had been left on _his desk_ had said) and _Crow_ had reported that the woman who had snatched Gaara had done so to _fix_ the Jinchūriki seal - checking the seal, he had recognized the swirling lines and even with only the _simplest_ knowledge of sealing he could see that the seal was more stable.

But with that realization had brought out the fact that without the risk of his son going batshit insane he could-

The Council wanted to murder ( _because that was what it was - that was his_ child _\- Karura’s child -_ ) Gaara under the guise of not knowing just what the missing-nin had actually done to the seal.

He had flat out refused.

( _he knew they just wanted his child out of the picture so they could reseal the beast - he wasn’t stupid - he knew half his council wanted to get rid of his entire family -_ )

But he knew the game - knew he would have to do something to _show_ them - so he ordered Yashamaru ( _brother-in-law - right-hand man - trusted advisor - the same face as his beloved -_ ) to “assassinate” his son. Except he had forgotten just _who_ _Crow_ was and how much more protective he had become towards Gaara.

“Kazekage- _sama_?”

Rasa froze minutely, and then slowly raised his head from his paperwork (that he hadn’t actually been focused on anyway) and stared. Kazuki stood in front of his desk, a frosty glint in his yellow eyes, and had one hand gripping the back of Yashamaru’s neck, while the other rested on Gaara’s head from where the boy was clutching his leg and peering around in curiosity.

“...Akiyama,” Rasa returned, careful to keep his tone flat and show none of the wariness he could feel curling his stomach. Karura’s students had been the rising stars of their generation, reaching chunin at age of eight, only two years after graduating the academy, and with the expectation of reaching Jonin - but the Third Shinobi War had taken a heavy toll on Sunagakure. The disappearance of the Sandaime Kazekage, Kazuhiko, who was also Kazuki’s father, had thrown the young shinobi into turmoil, having lost his mother three years earlier to the war as well.

It had ended in a disastrous mission that had led to the death of his teammate, Isao, and the crippling of his other teammate, Sadao.

He had entered ANBU after that, donning the mask of _Crow_.

Karura hadn’t been the same after the shattering of her team, and Rasa had been at a loss as to what to do to comfort his wife. The birth of their children had been a _kami-sama_ given gift. Karura had seemed to begin to heal little by little, and Rasa could remember times where Kazuki had shown up on the fringes, keeping watch silently but never approaching. Karura had always noticed, but had never made the boy come any closer, and Rasa had wanted to throttle him because couldn’t he _see she was hurting, damn it_?

...And then Karura had died after the birth of their youngest, and Rasa _floundered_.

( _and Crow never became Kazuki again_ )

“ _Serpent_ says he was ordered to assassinate your son,” the dark haired Jonin said, voice deadly flat, if muffled slightly from the face mask he always wore. His fingers tightened slightly around the neck beneath his grip, his chakra keeping the older man paralyzed.

Rasa’s eyes flickered from the grip to his shinobi’s face, and responded, “Yes, he was.” He tried to avoid looking at his son ( _but was he truly a father?_ ) but found his gaze straying over to the young redhead anyway. The boy was peering up at him with wide seafoam green eyes ( _just like Karura-_ ), but there was no hurt, or hatred, over the blatant fact that it had been his _father_ who had ordered the attack. Instead, the eyes were studying his face looking curious, but fingers still twisted in the fabric of Kazuki’s pants.

“Why?”

Rasa’s eyes shot back over to Kazuki, somehow surprised the man was actually _questioning_ his leader. In any other situation he would have punished the offender, but-

Kazuki was Karura’s student - but he was also _family_.

“The Council has been making overtures of doing it themselves,” the Kazekage answered flatly.

There was silence where the two stared at each other, Kazuki’s eyes narrowed and still with a frosty coldness that never failed to remind Rasa of the boy’s father. Finally, after a tense moment, Kazuki said just as flatly, “I don’t remember Suna being a democratic leadership.” Rasa got a rather sinking feeling in his stomach at the sentence and the look on the shinobi’s face. It was the face that his beloved wife had worn whenever something greatly displeased her and she was about to _fix_ it.

_(Rasa wasn’t sure if he should be terrified or not -)_

**|**

**_Year 107 - February 16 - Inagawa - Waterfall Country_ **

**|**

**Kakuzu** had become intrigued when Zangei had informed him of a new bounty of what was allegedly the _same person_ from _nine_ different shinobi villages and many other smaller villages. But what really got his attention was the fact that one of those shinobi villages was _Takigakure_ \- his very much loathed home village.

There hadn’t been any bounties (shinobi or civilian) from Takigakure in a long time, to have one suddenly and wanted dead _or_ alive?

Well, he just _had_ to investigate further.

(-had to know what this so called _Yūrei_ had done to earn such a rank and page-)

**|**

**Yuma** was starting to regret meeting Shuukaku _just_ a little bit.

“Let’s go to Lightning Country, she says,” he snarled under his breath. “It’ll be _fun_ , she says!” He ripped his naginata from the mercenary’s throat, and slammed the pole into the stomach of another, eye twitching as he shouted, “I don’t see how this is _fun_ , _Red_!”

Said redhead let out a cheerfully crazy cackle, flipping one of her blades through the air and thrusting another through the stomach of one of the mercenaries. “Then look harder, lovely,” she shouted back, ripping her blade out of the man’s stomach, and catching the one she flipped earlier in her other hand. She spun in a deadly whirl of flashing metal and red hair, a truly terrifying smile stretched across her face, that were making the mercenaries rather wary.

Any reply Yuma could have made she never heard as thick tendrils of black whipped out around her, and it was only reflexes that kept her from being impaled. Ghost yowled in the back of her mind, and the redhead weaved her way back and away from the sudden attack, skidding back in a wary crouch and eyes bleeding gold.

_Black and Red._

_Dangerous._

Kakuzu.

 _Akatsuki_.

 _Muramasa_ hummed on her back, and she sheathed her other blades, loosening the tie on the Uzumaki blade for an easier draw. “What do _you_ want?” she growled warily, Ghost an echoing undertone. Kakuzu was dangerous and _not_ someone she could win against if she wasn’t careful. She knew him from both Takigakure and Amegakure, and she had told herself she would avoid the hell out of him unless she was teamed up with one of the _sannin_ or Sarutobi- _sama_ by some miracle.

A shinobi that felt slighted by their village and retaliated by stealing their _kinjutsus_ and going _nukenin_ was not someone she wanted to cross.

( _she was carefully avoiding the fact that this man had been sent to assassinate Hashirama-sama and was_ still alive today)

Kakuzu stared at her with a blank face and asked in return, tone only mildly curious, “You seem to know me. How?”

She flicked one eye over to the man standing next to Kakuzu ( _Kumogakure affiliation - second partner to Kakuzu - lightning affinity - favors subtle tactics - Katsura Ieyoshi_ ), and then focused on Kakuzu entirely, “Same way anyone finds out about anyone.” Her eyes tracked every minute movement of his face and body, mind sliding into the cold calculation that had saved her and her teammate’s lives on many occasions ( _before and after and during the war - the war was a dark time and she had never had much time to ever slip_ out _of the mindset of break their minds and spirits and then their body_ \- _she had become something that-_ )

Her head cocked to the side and her body relaxed into something lazy. Ghost melded with her mind halfway, and there was a dark and seductive whisper in the back of her mind that had joined her with the acquisition of _Muramasa_.

“You have a high price on your head, _Yūrei_ ,” the man said, a certain kind of greed glittering in his eyes. “Most don’t seem to care if you’re dead or alive - which will you choose?” A mercenary crept up behind the redhead, stupidly thinking he would be able to strike her down and gain the bounty for himself.

He never felt the blade slice through his neck completely. _Muramasa_ sang and glowed a malevolent red color, relishing in the blood spilt by its edge. Kakuzu met gleaming gold eyes moments before his target blurred forward.

Yuma kept one eye on the battle happening in the vicinity, but mostly focused on taking down the last of the mercenaries still in the area. He could sense the high power levels of his current partner’s opponent, and he wasn’t positive the woman would make it out alive. But - there was something _different_ about the way Shuukaku was moving. It was -

She was more precise - calculated - in her movements. Her swings were meant to mortally wound if not outright kill - not that they hadn’t been before - but there was no playfulness or the kind of lazy bloodlust she seemed to constantly leak. Her bloodlust in fact seemed non-existent, or maybe was simply overshadowed by the blade she was wielding. In the month they had been travelling together, Yuma had yet to see her wield the slim blade attached to her lower back.

It had always been a mix of the twin blades on her back or the blade sealed on her palm. But now that he was watching her with that blade, he rather wished she _wasn’t_ using it. It oozed malevolence and a corrosive kind of bloodlust that had the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. If he were to be honest it reminded him of a _bijuu_ but that held terrifying connotations he _so_ didn’t want to think about.

He slit the throat of the last mercenary still in the area and turned to face the other battle going on fully just in time to see his current partner get impaled through the shoulder. He tensed, ready to spring forward and shoving a vague sense of horror away. Shuukaku had used the strange man from Takigakure’s (if he saw the symbol of his headband correctly) partner as a shield, but apparently the man didn’t care. His dark threads pierced through the man’s heart with _no hesitation_ , and it was only Shuukaku’s reflexes and position behind the Kumogakure shinobi that led to her getting impaled through the shoulder rather than something vital.

She let out a loud roar, her chakra exploding from her form and for a second Yuma could have sworn he’d seen _eyes_ from her chakra. The blade in her hand sparked and as if possessed, Shuukaku crouched low, and then shot forward, blade slicing up through the air in an arc. Much to his shock, a wave of dark crimson energy threaded with white sliced through the air and hit the Takigakure man head on. There was an explosion of light that shook the ground, but Yuma had no time to react before Shuukaku had an arm around his waist and was literally _dragging him away_.

He couldn’t say he was complaining to be honest.

**|**

**_Year 107 - February 21 - Taketomi - Rain Country_ **

**|**

**Pein** very carefully refrained from pinching the bridge of his nose. “Don’t go after her, Kakuzu,” he managed to say in a monotone. “She’s someone we want to _recruit_.”

Kakuzu twitched, and he eyed the orange haired man across from him balefully. “ _Why_?” he asked, curiosity getting the better of him. (he also wasn’t going to admit being a little miffed that the little girl had managed to actually successfully kill _two_ of his hearts with that last attack - _without having even been aiming for them kami-sama damn it_ )

His leader pinned him with a heavy stare, expression piercing and decidedly _unhappy_. “She’s managed to earn herself an S-Class ranking from _one_ village after appearing out of _nowhere_ . Then proceeded to invade _every single shinobi village without being caught_ ,” the man stressed irritably. “She would be a useful asset to the Akatsuki.”

Kakuzu agreed reluctantly.

**|**

**_Year 107 - March 11 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

**|**

**Fugaku** took a sip of his tea, silently eying the two men sitting across from him at the table. Mikoto was next to him, a quiet smile on her face that hid the calculation in her eyes. Kosuke, his wife’s uncle, was calmly sipping his own tea, while his nephew (and Mikoto’s younger brother), Ito, had the same smile as his sister on his face, though his eyes were nearly closed in thin slits.

“What is it that you have wished to discuss, Kosuke?” the head of the Uchiha Clan finally said, placing his cup down on the table with a sharp noise.

Kosuke hummed, setting his own cup down with a deft silence; Ito hid the widening smile behind the lip of his own cup, eyes opening slightly wider to stare at Fugaku from under his lashes. “You have heard the rumors of course,” the older man stated calmly, and Fugaku couldn’t stop himself from tensing the slightest bit.

Uchiha Kosuke was a rather unknown factor in the Uchiha Clan. He was the brother of Uchiha Itomi, Mikoto’s mother, and the son of Uchiha Makoto, the brother of Uchiha Kagami. He was a Jonin sensei (one of the few among Uchiha) and a revered shinobi amongst the corps. He was also one of the few Uchiha to have gained the Sharingan and powered it up to three tomoe. It was unknown if he had leveled it any higher, though there was much speculation that he _had_ considering the death of his teammate and best friend (Hatake Satoshi) close to twenty-five years ago.

His other teammate, Nara Tooru, had retired from the corps due to a crippling injury during the latter half of the second war, and was rarely seen outside of the Nara Compound. Rumor would have it be because she had been in love with her teammate, especially as she had never been the same after Satoshi’s death (not that Kosuke had been much the same either). But Kosuke had given no indication of retiring, and in fact had risen through the ranks instead with a grim determination, and had been asked to become a Jonin sensei by the Hokage.

Kosuke had never filled the form of a standard Uchiha, much like his uncle, Kagami, and had never bended to the clan politics. The elders respected Uchiha Makoto (may his soul rest in peace) _and_ his brother too much to really push Kosuke, who wouldn’t let them anyways (which was the only reason he hadn’t married - though there were _rumors_ about there being specific reasons for him not marrying).  

Kosuke was just too _important_ to alienate - but also wasn’t _Uchiha_ enough (in some people’s minds) to be informed or brought in on the coup being planned.

However, the man wasn’t _stupid_.

“There are many rumors,” Fugaku responded, careful to keep his voice bland. “To which are you referring, exactly?”

In a complete non-sequitur, Ito asked cheerfully (for him anyway), “Did you hear that Minoru got invited out to eat with his team the other day? Or that Shizuka was promoted recently to Jonin?”

Fugaku blinked, thrown. “Hmm, Tsume-san has recently invited us to dinner as well,” Mikoto added idly, taking another sip of her tea and still smiling placidly as if she hadn’t just thrown a stray kunai at her husband. “Didn’t I tell you?”

“No,” he managed to get through pursed lips. “You did not.” Kosuke coughed into his hand, and Fugaku glared at him. The older man merely smiled placidly back, showing just where Mikoto and Ito had learned it from. “Where are you going with all of this?” he finally grunted, fed up with the non-conversation.

“Hmm.” Kosuke’s smile gained a frozen quality to it and his eyes flashed red for the briefest of seconds, gaining the look of a predator. Fugaku went very still. “Did you think I’m stupid?”

Mikoto went rigid next to her husband, eyes shooting over to her brother ( _she hadn’t wanted him to_ know _he was her baby brother she-_ ). His eyes were opened fully and he was giving her an unreadable stare. She looked to her uncle next, and he wasn’t looking at her. He -

“It seems that you have forgotten what the Uchiha Clan _stands_ for,” Kosuke said flatly, picking up his cup and taking a sip. “Madara may have strayed off the _path_ , but we as a _Clan_ joined Konoha; it is our _home_. One _man_ means nothing compared to that.”

Fugaku startled. Kosuke leaned forward ever so slightly, keeping his gaze locked with the younger man’s, “You should remember that things are a two-way street, Fugaku.”

There was a deafening silence, before Mikoto asked, sounding unsure, “ _Jisan_?”

The man shook his head, his mane of black hair slipping over his shoulders in the process, and he said quietly, face serious, “You were born _after_ Kagami- _ji_ died, Mikoto, but others in the clan should remember him, and the fact that they are straying away from what he and _many other Uchiha_ believed in makes me _sick_.” His gaze sharpened and he pinned the two across with him with a burning gaze, “The _Will of Fire_ does not equate loyalty to the village only. It’s about time the Uchiha Clan _remember_ Kagami- _ji_ and what he stood for. He was devoted to _both_ the clan _and_ the village.”

“There’s no reason we can’t as well, Mikoto- _nee_ ,” Ito said quietly, face solemn. “Things are already changing. We’re being welcomed back into the village, but if we don’t reach back, then what?”

It was a thoughtful couple the two left behind when they finished their tea.

It had been _Senka_ of all people to suggest they talk with the two. Kosuke had hummed over the idea but agreed, eyes shadowed with something Ito hadn’t wanted to ask about. It was a look his uncle wore whenever he thought about his teammates, or his father. Ito didn’t know how his grandfather had died, and never asked because his sister didn’t know, and Kosuke closed up faster than he could say his own name. He never asked his own parents either, because something told him it wouldn’t be a good idea.

“Ito- _kun_ , go visit Senka- _chan_ or Shouhei- _kun_ ,” Kosuke half-ordered, slipping his hands in his sleeves as the two walked down the streets of the Uchiha District.

Ito eyed his uncle and asked idly, “And what are you going to do, _sensei_?”

The older man hummed, eyes staring out in front of him, but it was obvious he wasn’t actually _seeing_ what was there. “I’m going to go _visit_ someone,” he finally said after a moment, a slight frown tugging at his brow.

“Maa, I think I’ll go see what Shi- _kun_ is doing instead,” Ito said with a placid smile. Maybe he could snag his younger cousin and get him to help corner Itachi and convince his nephew to come with him the next time Ito brought Sasuke to Kei’s daycare thing. It would prove his nephew some good to get away from shinobi life and expectations for a while.

( _he only wished he could do the same for his cousin_ -)

Kosuke gave him a mild smile, and ruffled his hair before flipping up onto a roof and running. Ito noted he was heading in the direction of the Nara Compound, and then wandered in the vague direction of the training grounds. He’d find either Shisui or Itachi there, or even both.

**|**

**“What** brings you here, Kosuke?”

The Uchiha didn’t even so much as flinch at the cold tone directed at him, instead slipping closer to the woman and settling beside her on the porch that overlooked the forests behind the Nara Compound. Nara Tooru was a typical Nara in looks, except that her hair had long since melded into a dark black that seemed to be shadows themselves, and her eyes had lightened into something that might have been green once. Scars cut across her cheek and down over her mouth and her left arm ( _her dominant one_ ) hung limp at her side, no longer usable in any way.

“Can I not visit an old teammate?” he asked idly.

She stilled next to him and her voice was void of any emotion as she responded, “Never have before.”

He hummed in response, fingers tugging lightly at a chuck of her hair that was pooled against the ground. “That you’re aware of,” he finally said after a moment, tone still rather idle.

She was quiet at that, gaze still directed ahead towards the forest. He allowed her her silence, simply fiddling with her hair, and ignoring the ache in his heart. (- _there should be one more body - strong at their backs - laughing in the face of anything - warm hands resting on their necks and -_ ) “What do you _want_ , Kosuke?” she asked, voice cracking ever so slightly.

“My teammate,” he answered promptly, not even having to think about it. It had been _nineteen years_ since she had locked herself away in her house, and he had still been reeling from the sudden absence of both his teammates - his sensei - his _family_ \- that he had forced his way through the ranks. He made himself get stronger, smarter, _faster_ \- anything to keep from what happened to his team to ever happen again.

He _had_ visited Tooru, but never when she would notice him. Guilt and _shame_ had kept him from approaching her, and seeing her _wallowing_ away had only aggravated him and he hadn’t been able to bring himself to actually _talk_ with her. But - he _missed her_ \- felt like he was missing a limb entirely - couldn’t - he wanted her back. She was all he had left of his genin team - he wanted to be able to tell her about his _own_ genin team - tell her about his _life_ \- his niece and her children, his nephew. his little cousin -

\- he didn’t want her to _not_ be a part of his life.

“...why _now_?” she asked, still not looking at him.

He snorted roughly, self-deprecating, and answered roughly, “Because I’m an _idiot_ \- I should’ve stayed with you - shouldn’t have _left_ you like the coward I am. But I did - I can’t take that back and I won’t excuse my actions either. But, Tooru - I don’t want to be like this anymore - I _want_ you in my life - I want you _back_.”

She was silent again, and he turned away from her, fingers still tangled in her hair. He wasn’t going to leave unless she asked - and even then he would come back another time and try again. But - he was hopeful. Tooru still wore the two silver cuffs on her right ear - the same cuffs that adorned his own right ear ( _and once upon a time there had been two others that wore the same ones too -_ ).

“Shikaku- _kun_ told me you have genin team,” Tooru said quietly, still not looking at him, but her shoulders had relaxed just the tiniest bit.

Kosuke let out a bright laugh, a fuzzy kind of warmth that had become more frequent as of late blossoming in his chest at the very thought of his team, “I do!”

“Tell me about them?”

\- and that - that was a _start_.

**|**

**_Year 107 - March 18 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

**|**

**Kakashi-** ** _senpai_ ** had informed ( _told_ ) Tenzo that he was going to introduce him to a _friend_ of his - someone he thought Tenzo should meet and get to know - and well - the former ROOT agent hadn’t really been sure what to expect exactly. (- _nobody_ knew what went through Hatake Kakashi’s or _Hound’s_ minds anymore if they ever did before-) Meeting the ANBU medic that held every agent under complete terror of her was _not_ what he expected in any of his wildest dreams.

“Kakashi- _senpai-nii-san_ ! What brings you here?” said woman sang cheerily, obvious fondness in her voice and Tenzo’s brains stalled. He stared - not even just because of the familiar way she called out to _Hound_ \- but because she was wearing only a long sleeved shirt that only _barely_ came down mid-thigh and was very obviously _not her’s_.

“ _Mah_ , I wanted to introduce you to my new _kohai_ ,” the silver haired shinobi drawled, slinking down into a spot at the low table in the middle of the room with an easy grace Tenzo was kind of jealous of. The long haired woman wandered over to her closet, humming to show she was listening - and _kami-sama_ that was a _lot of skin_. “This is Tenzo; Tenzo this is Kita Hachimitsu.”

Hachimitsu ducked out of the closet a pair of pants in hand and threw over her shoulder, “Nice to meet you.” Tenzo could already feel his ears _burning_ in embarrassment as he found his eyes glued on the expanse of bare thighs. (He wasn’t sure if he should be _impressed_ or _annoyed_ that Kakashi- _senpai_ didn’t seem bothered at all from the glimpse of underwear shown when the woman pulled the pants on.)

His brain stuttered and he blurted out, “You’re the ANBU Medic, _Panther_.”

She flashed him a grin, eyes crinkling at the corners, “Oh? You noticed? You’ve been a good patient, _Tiger_ , so I like you.” Tenzo fought the urge to groan and hide his face in his hands. Way to _state the obvious, dumbass_. He could _feel_ his _senpai’s_ lone eye laughing at him. (-at least _someone_ was enjoying themselves-)

“Hmm, I don’t have anything to drink, but help yourselves to these,” Hachimitsu offered, a plate of cookies settling on the table from _somewhere_ (-he had _no idea_ where the hell she had gotten them-). He eyed the plate.

Kakashi had no compunctions and easily took one of the cookies, “Thank you, Hachi- _chan_.” Tenzo turned his gaze on the other shinobi, but blinked and the cookie was gone.

“So, why did you want to introduce us?” the only woman in the room questioned, taking her own cookie and lounging out on the floor.

Kakashi hummed and then asked idly, “Are you still investigating?”

“Did you think I would _stop_?” the kunoichi returned, an underlying threat in her voice that made shivers crawl down Tenzo’s spine. “I had such a wonderful distraction pop up too.”

Kakashi hummed, seemingly unaffected by the sharpening of the air around the Kita, and Tenzo was so, so _confused_ . “I believe Tenzo could prove _useful_ in your investigation,” the silver haired man said carelessly, flapping a hand.

“Huh?” the younger shinobi blinked wildly, looking between the two with a lost look.

Kakashi’s lone eye settled on him for one still moment, before he answered the unspoken question, “Hachi- _chan_ is investigating Danzo for treason.”

His gaze shot over to Hachimitsu and he blurted, “You’re investigating Danzou- _san_ for _treason_ ? Under the Hokage- _sama’s_ orders?” He froze when the air around her sharpened into something akin to killing intent, and her lips twisted in an ugly snarl.

“Under Hokage- _sama’s_ orders? _No_ ,” she growled, tone borderline disgusted as she continued, “From what I can tell, he has too much of a _soft spot_ for his _friend_ to even _consider_ him doing the things he does.” She glowered over at the older man reaching for another cookie and added, “Which was why I _thought_ Kakashi- _senpai-nii-san_ was burying his head about _this_.”

Tenzo frowned, wondering just _what_ _else_ the old man had done. It had only been in the last few months of being in ANBU and under Kakashi- _senpai’s_ leadership that he had even begun to realize that some of the things he had witnessed himself about Danzou- _san_ were in fact very much _against_ Konohagakure’s beliefs if not outright _law_. “What made you start investigating him in the first place? Do you even have proof of his treason to even _start_ an investigation?” he asked cautiously.

“ _He framed my twin for treason_ ,” she hissed menacingly, voice holding an even deeper tone that made the hair’s on the back of Tenzo’s neck stand on end. He noted that even Kakashi- _senpai_ had straightened, lone eye on the woman. “I have no _actual_ proof of Danzou’s actions, but the paperwork had to have come from _somewhere_ \- I was investigating him for other things before that though that would be considered treason as well.” Her fingers were clawing at the table and he noticed that her nails were _actual claws_ and was in fact marking the wood with deep grooves. “Now, I’m going to bring him and his followers _down_ ,” she growled darkly, eyes narrowed.

Tenzo twitched and little and then asked, bewildered, “You-You _do know_ that his organization _is_ legal, right?”

She blinked and the pressure in the air lessened slightly, “Is it?”

“Mh, yes, it is, Hachi- _chan_ ,” Kakashi admitted easily, even adding, “I was even part of it for a few months.”

Her gaze switched from the younger ANBU agent to her older brother and she questioned with narrowed eyes, “And just _what_ did you do for him? Was it like normal missions?”

Kakashi tapped his fingers against the table top, meeting her gaze easily, “For the most part it ran like missions from ANBU, if a little more suicidal in _tone_ than usual. It wasn’t until he asked me to _assassinate_ Hokage- _sama_ that I got out.”

Hachimitsu went still, and in a very flat voice repeated, “Assassinate the Hokage.” The silver haired man hummed in agreement, and she asked, “And did you inform said Hokage about this?”

He eye-smiled at her and said cheerily, “That _is_ how I got out from under Danzou’s thumb.”

“ _And he didn’t receive any form of punishment?_ ” she demanded, before shaking her head harshly and cutting her hand through the air, instead turning to Tenzo. He barely suppressed a flinch at having her attention focused back on him directly. “And you? Kakashi- _senpai-nii-san_ brought you here for a reason.”

He swallowed nervously and offered, feeling baffled, “I was ordered to steal his eye? I mean Kakashi- _senpai’s_ eye. I refused and Hokage- _sama_ got me out.”

“He wanted to _steal_ Kakashi’s _eye_?” Hachimitsu repeated, disbelief coloring her tone to the point she even dropped her usual titles. “The Sharingan? But _why_?”

“He mentioned,” he started, pausing to look at his senior for confirmation on the go ahead in telling her. Kakashi inclined his head, gaze flickering over to Hachimitsu with an unreadable look. Tenzo swallowed and continued cautiously, “He mentioned that he feared the Sharingan eye he had would go blind from overuse.”

She stared, “I’ve never heard of that before, but I also don’t know _everything_ about the Sharingan anyways.” She shook her head roughly, raking a clawed hand through her bangs roughly, and huffing, “So, Danzou _does_ have a Sharingan? You’ve seen it?”

“Yes,” Tenzo nodded, frowning uncomfortably. “He’s used it on me before.”

“I _see_ ,” she hummed, sounding more like a purr. She crooked a finger at Kakashi and asked, “Would you mind if I scanned the Sharingan? I want to confirm something.” She was always careful to never call the Sharingan _his_ , and the first few times she _had_ , she had gone to Shuukaku confused over her older brother’s flinch every time she did

Shuukaku had looked at her silently for a moment, before explaining quietly that Kakashi didn’t see it as _his_ Sharingan or even _eye_ \- to him it was and always _would be_ his teammate’s and friend’s eye. It was a memento - if a morbid one - but to Kakashi it was a reminder of what he had lost and gained and to claim it as his _own_ made him feel like he was spitting on Obito’s gift to him and his _death_.

Hachimitsu had changed her phrasing near instantly, and the people around them had begun picking up the habit as well and she had noticed that Kakashi had relaxed a little because of it.

“...alright,” the ANBU consented, leaning towards her hand, which had sparked with chakra. Her fingers gently lifted the _hitai-ate_ ( _always so gentle - so careful_ \- _it was almost like Ri-_ ) and brushed over the scarred lid briefly before resting over the eye. Her chakra probed carefully before pulling back and she replaced the band and leaned away, a slight frown on her lips. “Well?”

“The Sharingan is a _Mangekyo_ Sharingan,” she answered, brow furrowed. The two stared, confusion evident and she rubbed her forehead tiredly. “ _Mangekyo_ Sharingan. I don’t know a lot about it - the only reason I even _know_ it is because Shi- _chan_ has it,” she sighed, closing her eyes briefly. “I’m actually surprised you _have it_.”

Kakashi frowned, “Why? Obito must ha-?”

( _-it still hurt to say his name-_ )

Hachimitsu shook her head sharply, “No, he _couldn’t_ have.” Her nails began to bite into the wood of the table again as she continued, “You reached that level _after_ Obito- _senpai-nii-san_ gifted that to you - you probably gained it when Rin- _senpai-nee-chan_ died.”

(- _blood on his hands - oh kami-sama_ no-)

“Why would you think I have it then?”

“ _Look_ ,” she grumbled, irritated. “I’ve already said too much. I’ve sworn to secrecy about this, but I’ll see if I can’t get Shi- _chan_ to come talk to you about it or something.”

Cautiously, Tenzo asked, “What’s so special about this _Mangekyo_ Sharingan?”

“It’s _rare_ and certain conditions have to be met to even _awaken_ it,” she answered with a tight frown and Tenzo blinked when he realized her eyes were _glowing_ . “What concerns me is that _Danzou_ went _specifically_ after Kakashi’s eye when I _know_ he has access to the Sharingan through _other_ means.”

“You mean whatever you’re doing for the Uchiha?” Kakashi asked, looking bored and Tenzo wished half of the conversation going on wasn’t just going over his head.

“You would _think_ ,” she grumbled, eyes _definitely_ glowing. “But Kakashi- _senpai-nii-san_ proves that isn’t the case. I honestly _don’t know enough_ about the Sharingan to say one way or another.” She shrugged, claws digging into the table deeply and brow furrowed, “So either Danzou knows more about the Sharingan than me - which _scary thought_ \- or -?” Her gaze wandered over to Kakashi and she said flatly, “I’m not the only medic to tend to you.”

“No, but you _are_ the most frequent,” he said slowly, eyeing her a bit warily. “What are you thinking?”

“That one of those medics is in Danzou’s pocket,” she answered in a deadly purr. “And they can tell the difference between a normal Sharingan and a _Mangekyo_ one.” A slow grin was spreading over her face, showing too many teeth to be anything but threatening - and Tenzo was slightly terrified to find that rumors of her having fangs was _true_. “And I’ve been trying to find a medic like that for _a while now_ \- make a list of every medic that’s attended to you - nurse too if you can.”

She would go digging into his records too, but she knew chances were Danzou removed the medic in question from any and all records. Kakashi sighed with a grumble, but acquiesced, “I’ll see what I can do. Anything else?”

“Lay low - _both_ of you,” she half-ordered, eyes flicking between them seriously before settling on Tenzo once more. “You are out from under Danzou, yes?”

He nodded, “ _Hai_ , Kakashi- _senpai_ and Hokage- _sama_ saw to that.”

Her smile widened into something else entirely and she chirped, “Good! Now, how did you meet Kakashi- _senpai-nii-sama_ and make him actually _like_ you?”

**|**

**_Year 107 - March 23 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

**|**

**If** Fugaku had been any lesser of a man, he probably would have packed up his family and just run for the hills to escape all of the problems he was currently in the middle of. _Unfortunately,_ (for his sanity), he was _not_ a lesser man so stayed in the position as Clan Head and trying to keep his clan safe within a village that may or may not even _want_ them in it.

It also meant that he did not sigh at the weight burdening his shoulders, while he took a sip of the tea his dear Mikoto had prepared for him. His thoughts wandered towards his uncle-in-law again, as they had been for the past few weeks since that meeting with him and Ito. Most of the time it was puzzling over just how much the older man knew, or _thought_ he knew, and what the man thought _Fugaku_ knew.

Despite what Kosuke seemed to think, he _did not_ know everything that was going on; such as the fact that Danzo was taking Sharingan eyes and, apparently, random body parts. However, that didn’t mean the man _didn’t_ know anything, and there was the high possibility that he _did_ know something that _could_ help Fugaku with everything.

A part of him was glad the meeting between them had happened. It had been a kind of wakeup call he hadn’t realized he needed. He hadn’t realized that something had changed between the Uchiha Clan and the village, and that it was a _good_ change. It had also been a reminder that not everyone in the Uchiha Clan felt the same way about the village and how it treated the Uchiha. Not all of them would support a rebellion.

Unfortunately, most of those Uchiha were not in the higher positions to _voice_ their opinions or they weren’t _invited_ like Kosuke.

Still, the fact that the village was reaching out to them was a _good sign_ . But, Fugaku worried that it wouldn’t be _enough_ . The number of Uchiha who worked in the actual Shinobi Corps instead of the Military Police had dropped significantly over the last seven years, and they no longer had their District within the village, but instead a Compound on the _outskirts_ of the village. There was no way for non-Uchiha to come through and see, to _interact_ , with them, simply because it was now too far away for it to be a reasonable trek.

He just wasn’t sure there could be enough of an outreach to make much of a difference.

Then there were the difficulties with the Military Police because of the upper echelon. The Uchiha could have dealt with being shoved off to a corner of the village; patrols could be changed and the budget had to be rearranged anyway because of the Kyuubi attack. They would have made it _work_ . It would have been an opportunity to start involving others to the Military Police as Minato had been suggesting, but instead, when the next year rolled around, the budget had been _cut._

If it had been for only a year, Fugaku would have understood. The Kyuubi had done a lot of damage, and money was needed for repairs and other things; everyone’s budget had probably been cut like his. Except the budget wasn’t increased the next year, despite him handing in a report that if the Military Police were to perform their duties effectively and to the fullest extent they would need _money_ (especially since they had been moved to a less than ideal position).

Nothing had come from it.

Only more budget cuts.

Since they had been moved, they had needed more manpower to cover everything since it took a long time to reach a patrol area. He had been forced to pull active duty shinobi to fill in the gap, and with the budget cuts, no one was happy being in the Military Police. Eventually, he had been forced to let go anyone who _hadn’t_ been an Uchiha, few that there were.

To make matters worse, with the damn rumor about the Clan being the ones to set the Kyuubi on the village, all their outside consultants for cases involving the other clans and their clan secrets wouldn’t help them, effectively making the cases get dropped.

( _the rumor was ridiculous because the entire Uchiha had liked if not_ loved _their Yondaime, even if only for the reason that Mikoto had been his genin teammate and still on good terms with each other)_

Then there was the evidence that would go missing, ANBU picking up people who fell under the Military Police jurisdiction, and just the general bad luck that seemed to follow them around everywhere. By this point, the Uchiha Clan was _losing_ money by the continuation of the Police. The most logical course of action would be for Fugaku to dissolve the Force like the village was trying to push them into, and put all active shinobi back into the Corps.

He had more than enough slots open to have those active shinobi (and would have some to _spare_ ) - which was more than likely the cause for the rumor that the Uchiha weren’t pulling their weight for the needs of the village.

But - the Military Police was a source of _pride_ for the Clan ( _for him_ ). Fugaku had worked too damn hard to just give it up. Practically everyone in his clan had. _No one_ wanted to give up all that work. The Uchiha had been _entrusted_ with this part of the inner workings of the village. No other clan could claim to have sole control over one aspect of the village like they did. Even if he was to propose giving up the Military Police, he was positive no one in the clan was willing to let it happen.

Even those who _wouldn’t_ agree to rebelling against the village.

Kosuke had said the Clan had strayed from the true meaning of the _Will of Fire_ \- of being loyal to both the village _and_ the clan - but Fugaku couldn’t help but wonder if the village itself hadn’t strayed from the true meaning as well - to being loyal to the clans and the people that made up the village.

What was Konoha without the clans that made it up?

Fugaku was pulled from his thoughts by the indignant screech of his youngest that was followed by the soft tones of his eldest, and the humming purr that told him Hachimitsu had come to drop off her latest autopsy report. Not even a moment later, said woman entered the room rubbing her cheek against Itachi’s while holding a wiggling Sasuke in one arm. Once she had finished scent marking his eldest, she flipped Sasuke around so she could give the boy the same treatment.

“ _Eww_ , you’re _drooling_ on me,” the seven years old whined, face looking disgusted as Hachimitsu deigned him covered enough in her scent to put down. “And stop purring! It’s making me _sleepy_!”

“Awww, but I’m letting everyone know you’re my little _koneko_ ,” the Kita grinned, giving Fugaku a nod, before turning to Mikoto, who had just walked into the room with a tray of tea and snacks. Hachimitsu let out another purr and greeted the woman the same way she had his sons.

“No one’s gonna be able to tell it’s _your_ drool on me,” Sasuke muttered sullenly as he scrubbed at his cheek with the corner of his shirt, baring his stomach to the world. Fugaku very carefully didn’t groan out loud at the display.

“It is better than Kiba- _kun_ licking you, is it not?” Itachi asked mildly, tone almost as dry as the deserts, though there was faint smile playing at his lips.

Sasuke groaned, rolling his eyes heavenward, “ _Ugh, yes_. Not by much though.”

Hachimitsu grinned, looking amused and commented, “Glad to know I’m better than a _dog_.” Sasuke puffed up instantly, looking much like an affronted kitten.

“Will you be staying for dinner?” Mikoto asked, effectively derailing any argument her youngest could think to start on.

The other woman shook her head and declined with an apologetic smile, “Ah, no. I should be home for dinner tonight. Thank you for the offer.”

Fugaku stood and said calmly, “We’ll talk in my office.” She nodded and waved at the other three in the room before following after him, steps near silent behind him.

Hachimitsu didn’t try to mark the man with her scent, even though he had offered to let her after Shisui had explained just _why_ his teammate did that. However, she had seen his reluctance to be touched and had informed him that she could get away with not marking him. Having marked every other person in his family made her familiar enough with his own scent, that if they ever found themselves in battle together and she let her alter ego out, he would be safe with her.

Though if he ever _did_ find himself in that position, he would have to be prepared to be marked by her alter ego, Panther, who had no human social constructs and would want to mark him as _hers_ since she had claimed the rest of his family.

Fugaku closed the door behind him with a click and activated the privacy seals Hachimitsu had painted on the walls as he took a seat behind his desk. The brown haired woman took the seat across from him and dropped her report on his desk. “The good news is that Yujiro did in fact die as reported, and there was no evidence of body parts being replaced,” she informed him promptly as he opened the report to skim it over. “Sort of good news is that someone else _not_ me, found evidence that the Uchiha are not the only one being screwed over.”

Fugaku blinked, looking up from the report to study the woman who didn’t look as happy as she should be by the news. “Pardon? Why is that only _sort of_ good news?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow up.

The woman sighed and ran a hand down her face in frustration. “He’s... _new_ ,” she answered, sounding faintly irritated. “Has _no_ reputation, no backing of anyone important, and could very easily be _misplaced_ . It was basically sheer _dumb luck_ that led him to informing _me_ of this and not the wrong people.”

“I see,” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose tiredly.

When the Uchiha had found the ongoing theft of their _kekkei genkai_ , no one had believed them. Fugaku had ended up pulling Hachimitsu into it after discovering that she could discern the differences between a fake eye and a real one _without_ being informed of every detail about the Sharingan. She had started raising her own noise about it and had gotten a better response than the clan had.

However, they had run into the same problem. There was no third party who could confirm both the Uchiha’s and Hachimitsu’s findings without revealing Uchiha Clan secrets. By that point, Hachimitsu’s firm support of the Uchiha was already well known so the case was dropped _because_ she was too close to the Uchiha.

They were hoping for a third party to find something that would support the Uchiha’s claim, but until now, there had been _nothing_.

It was a shame it wasn’t someone of _note_. If the Uchiha’s reopened their case with this person, they would more than likely just be accused of pressuring the person into testifying for them - and with their luck the body and evidence would disappear again and they would be back to square one.

“Any chance of getting someone else to look at it?” he asked, not really expecting much.

Hachimitsu’s face twisted, lips pulling back over her cat like teeth, but the expression wasn’t directed at him, so he wasn’t overly bothered by it. “I did take the kid’s information and dumped it on someone I _don’t_ get along with to check out,” she grumbled. “She _should_ be competent enough to confirm what he found, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the body mysteriously vanishes before she gets to it.” She leant back in her chair and rubbed her forehead irritably, “If nothing else, I just saved the kid from being discredited and potentially ruining his career. If he _does_ find anything else like it, he’s promised to come to me first about it.”

“Very well,” he sighed, turning back to the report in his hands. “We’ll just have to wait and see.” He flipped the page and then paused in the middle of his skimming. Carefully, he went back up to the top of the page and actually _read_ what the report was saying. “Why was the attempted theft of someone’s Sharingan not reported to me?”

Hachimitsu hummed and informed him, “Because the person in question _isn’t_ an Uchiha, and therefore _doesn’t_ report to you.” Her tone of voice made him look up, and he blinked. Her eyes had shifted from their normal dark brown and green to the glowing acid green and gold color that meant she was no longer fully thinking in human terms. He briefly wondered if this was how other people felt when faced with an active Sharingan, before what she said clicked and explained her sudden defense.

Hatake Kakashi and the Sharingan eye of one Uchiha Obito had gifted him with. It was a subject that caused many mixed feelings among the Uchiha. On one hand, an outsider had their _kekkei genkai_ and was better at using it than most Uchiha were - but on the other hand, it had been an Uchiha’s _dying_ request, and that was something most Uchiha had no desire to interfere with. The Clan had decided to drop the whole thing and ignored the fact it happened - they had other things to deal with anyway.

Fugaku knew that Hatake was one of Hachimitsu’s _people_ , which was the reason for her being so defensive about it. She probably wasn’t sure how he would react to this - and if he reacted badly, well - he was sure she _wouldn’t_ kill him, but she _was_ a medic and knew all sorts of ways to cause pain without leaving a single mark. Of course, said medic was known for mauling people who thought they were healed enough to _disregard_ her medical advice.

“Hatake- _san_ informed you of the attempt?” he asked, leaning back and eyeing her carefully.

She grunted, eyelids lowering as she studied him, “Yes, though several months _after_ the fact.”

He hummed, and then asked, “Why inform me? And who made the attempt?”

“ _Danzou_ \- the name was snarled viciously - made the attempt, but I only have verbal confirmation of that,” she growled. “There’s no paper trail of any evidence leading back to him.”

A curse slipped out before he could bite it back. _Of course_ there was no paper trail to follow. That would have been too _easy_ . A thought occurred to him then and he narrowed his eyes, pointing out “Why go after Hatake- _san’s_ eye? He’s been stealing eyes from our _dead_.” He frowned deeply and asked, sounding vaguely unsure, “Unless we are wrong in our belief that Danzou is the one behind the theft?”

“ _No_ ,” she countered sharply. “I’m still certain Danzou is the one behind the eye theft.” She folded her arms and leaned back, an odd look coming over her face before she asked, “Did you know that Kakashi has the Mangekyo Sharingan?”

“But that’s impossible,” he protested sharply. Sure Hatake could use the Sharingan just as well, if not _better_ than a lot of Uchiha, but he shouldn’t be able to _upgrade_ the Sharingan. Obito had _just_ awakened the Sharingan before giving it away, and Minato had informed him (and thus the entire clan) what level it had been. Two tomoe in each eye was impressive for a newly awoken Sharingan, and had fitted nicely in a theory he had been working on for an ongoing research project the clan had been working on since shortly after they had settled in Konohagakure.

Though, given how good Hatake _was_ with the eye, Fugaku had wondered if the eye had been able to reach three tomoe. Practically no one in the Uchiha Clan associated with Hatake except for Shisui, and possibly his own son (and Kosuke).

(he suddenly realized he probably could have asked Shisui if Hatake had three or two tomoe and the boy would have told him - he very carefully pushed the voice that sounded distinctly like his long dead elder brother calling him an _idiot_ )

He could think of a number of reasons why the eye could level up to at least _one_ more level, but having it evolve into the Mangekyo Sharingan?

“How certain are you?” he asked with narrowed eyes as he focused back on the feline like woman.

She tilted her head, eyes boring into his own (and the level of _trust_ that implied right there baffled him sometimes) before answering, “His eyes feel like Shi-chan’s - so, unless you’re saying he _doesn’t_ have the Mangekyo, then I’m a hundred percent positive.”

Fugaku gave in and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes and heaving a deep sigh. He would _not_ be informing his clan about this particular development - anyone involved in the research of the Sharingan and how it worked would _insist_ on kidnapping the shinobi to study him. “Do you have any idea how it activated?” he asked, having an _idea_ on when it had developed. Hachimitsu knew how the Mangekyo was activated, having been with Shisui when his had done so. She was sworn to secrecy about it and he was glad that it looked like she and her teammate would more than likely end up married. At least if they did, she would have a justifiable reason for why she knew so much about the Uchiha and their secrets.

“When his other teammate, Nohara Rin, died,” she confirmed wearily. “I can’t give you the details about it though since that mission is classified, sorry.” And she _was_ sorry she couldn’t give him more information about it. Fugaku wouldn’t put it past her to realize that the information she was withholding from him could fall under Clan needed information - and since the Uchiha Clan were at odds with the upper echelon of their village, he couldn’t go and demand that he be given that information.

Although, he wondered if Shisui knew the details. If he did, Fugaku could just get the information from him.

“Kakashi had no idea he even had it,” Hachimitsu continued, successfully interrupting his thoughts. “There’s no instinctive knowledge that informs him of what he can do like Shisui seemed to have. I was - well, I was hoping you would give Shisui permission to talk to Kakashi about it.”

“I’ll think about it,” he consented blandly.

She nodded and then switched back to their previous topic, “The reason I even brought this up is because I found it off that Danzou would go after Kakashi’s eye _specifically_.”

Fugaku narrowed his eyes and asked, “Did you find out why?”

She frowned, eyes narrowed in thought, “Not really - but it seemed that Danzou wanted _Kakashi’s_ eye to replace one he already has, but feared was failing.” She seemed confused over that last part, but he wasn’t surprised. Even though she knew a lot more than most outsiders, she didn’t know _everything_.

“That is troubling news,” he murmured, not informing her on what she was missing. It wasn’t relevant for her to know, since he highly doubted Shisui would use the Mangekyo enough _for_ her to find out. “That implies that Danzou has stolen a Mangekyo and if he truly has, then it’s evident that we do _not_ know every Uchiha he has stolen eyes from.”

And that...was not promising in the least.

“Troubling indeed,” Hachimitsu muttered, eyes finally fading back into their usual color. “I don’t have anything else to report, unless there is anything you need of me?”

He shook his head, “No, not at the moment. I will contact you if another Uchiha falls.”

She stood fluidly from her chair and inclined her head, “Very well. I need to get home, then. _Kaa-san_ has been making noises over me being out of the house too much lately.”

He gave her a curious look, “I thought you didn’t leave the village much anymore.”

“Unfortunately _true_ ,” she groaned, puffing her cheeks out. “But they stick me in the hospital way too much. At this rate, I might as well take it over and screw with _everyone_ .” Her tone was near purring by the end, as a wide grin spread across her face. Fugaku felt his eyes twitch at the thought of her actually doing that. He wasn’t confident on just how much of Konoha would survive. Well - his clan should survive - maybe not fully sane - but in the end _alive_.

“If I find something you can do, I will let you know,” Fugaku offered, shoving those thoughts away. He would begin looking over the case files the Military Police had and see if there was anything there she could look into for them. (it helped that she would work for them for free)

“Thanks,” she returned. “I’ll see you later, Fugaku- _san_.”

The Clan head nodded and deactivated the privacy seals as she walked out. Looking down at the report she had given him, an idea blossomed to life in his mind. Maybe he could throw Kosuke and Hachimitsu at this and see what they came up with. If nothing else, it could prove interesting (and possibly _entertaining_ ).

**|**

**_Year 107 - April 29 - Kumogakure - Lightning Country_ **

**|**

**Shuukaku** wanted _nothing_ to do with Kumogakure after everything ( _being framed - the destruction of Uzushio - fucking Hyuuga Hizashi being alive kami-sama damnit_ ), but she had realized something now that her anger at fucking _Danzou_ had lowered somewhat into a simmer.

Since it hadn’t been _her_ leaking information to Kumogakure, then _who was_?

There was no way a Kumogakure shinobi had managed to get into the inner grounds of the Hyuuga Compound and kidnap the _three-year-old heiress_ without insider information. Which meant there was a traitor somewhere, and she sure as hell knew they weren’t in _just_ Konoha. If there was one, while it might not mean her name got cleared ( _she highly doubted her name would ever get cleared as long as Danzou was still alive_ ), it would mean she could protect her _home_.

And to her, that meant _everything_.

(it didn’t hurt that there was a fairly recent - as in within the last few years - rumor that might be Uzumaki Haruki floating around some of the outer borders of Lightning Country)

The security had been increased slightly since her visit last year and the subsequent stealing of Hyuuga Hizashi, but it was still stupidly easy to sneak into the village. Having insider information helped as well - Yuma hadn’t questioned what she was doing, and had given up the information she needed easily enough. (his mutterings over the village being assholes was politely ignored - and they had parted ways at the border)

While she was primarily invading Kumogakure to get a traitor, it was also to get more blackmail on the village itself. The fiasco with Hizashi had cut her digging short - and it was a good way to keep people on their toes. (it wouldn’t do to have them _forget_ about her, now would it?)

Yuma’s directions led her into the file room that didn’t exist and happily began digging around. She hadn’t been able to get into the room before though she had heard about its existence through her seals. Hizashi’s problem had taken precedence over it then, so she hadn’t been able to investigate about it before. She set her seals to do most of the work for the information she needed, while she dug around for the Hyuuga Incident personally.

A file caught her attention and she frowned down at it, wondering what it was about it that seemed familiar. It was a shinobi file. The shinobi was marked as ‘killed’, but there was a small notation on the bottom of the page that read: _possible infiltrator_. She skimmed the file, but kept getting distracted by the picture. It was a young boy with silvery white hair cropped messily and wearing a pair of circular glasses and a scarf around his neck.

She narrowed her eyes at the picture, studying the facial structure and expression - it clicked.

Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure all had the _same shinobi_ in their files - only older. Kirigakure and Sunagakure had him marked as ‘killed’ - but Iwagakure marked him as _still active_. “Interesting,” she muttered, frowning down at the file in her hand. Her curiosity was peaked now, and she was going to investigate the oddity - after she was done here of course.

The redhead placed the file back where she found it, and then continued her perusal for the Hyuuga Incident. (- it was rather interesting just what a shinobi village would keep documents of - you would think they would be too paranoid to write _anything_ of importance down - but it wasn’t the case in _any_ of the villages - they were all too confident in their protections that it never seemed to cross their minds that someone _could_ break in -)

“There you _are_ ,” she purred, a satisfied grin stretching across her face. She unrolled the scroll, eyes flickering over the page and zeroing in on one name. Terajima Shunichi was the shinobi who allegedly had the information on how to break into the Hyuuga Compound to successfully kidnap the Hyuuga Heiress.

Quickly finishing the rest of the scroll (and scoffing at the end notes on Hyuuga Hizashi), she located the shinobi file on Shunichi. He was said to be an average chunin with particularly high skills in stealth and intelligence - and his word was trusted since his information nearly _always_ turned out correct. Her rage surged and Ghost rumbled ominously in the back of her mind.

Shunichi’s days were _numbered_.

**|**

**_Year 107 - May 3 - Kumogakure - Lightning Country_ **

**|**

**Four** days of watching the plain and forgettable looking shinobi had done _nothing_ to quell the simmering anger beneath her skin. If she hadn’t been sure he was a traitor already, it would have been his scent that had cemented it for her. Underneath the sharp tang of electricity and smoke that made up the Kumogakure citizen’s basic scent, was the damp earthy undertone of a Fire Country native and the bite of old blood that signified _ROOT_ to her.

Her chance came when the shinobi snuck out of the village and headed quite some ways away (and _just_ out of reach from any decent sensor’s range). She wrapped her stealth around her completely and followed him some distance away, fury becoming a slowly rising tide.

Slipping into the shadow of a cliff face, the furious redhead managed to catch the tail end of what was evidently a report. “Danzou- _sama_ will be informed.” There was an odd sound and then Shunichi turned to return to Kumogakure - but someone was standing in the way. He jumped back into a low crouch, eyes narrowed on the woman warily, and a low kind of panic rose in the back of his mind.

_He hadn’t sensed her at all._

(- and he _still_ couldn’t sense her even though she was _standing right in front of him_ -)

Shunichi had never seen the woman before. Her hair was long and mostly unbound and a vibrantly red in color that sent alarms off in his head. She was dressed in a short kimono style outfit and had twin swords strapped across her back and an another blade on her lower back. Black markings were tattooed all over and up her arms and hands - and her face was utterly blank.

Her head tipped to the side and in an utterly flat voice intoned, “You’re a traitor to your village.”

He stared at her warily and responded, “I am a traitor to no one.”

Her feet slipped forward in a light step, eyes never straying from his own and - the look in her eyes made him scared. He was spy - an _infiltrator_ \- he was _trained_ to notice the subtleties of human emotion - but _her eyes_.

They showed nothing.

There was no flicker of any kind of emotion - not even detachment - her face was utterly blank, not even a twitch to signify even a _hint_. Even the other members of ROOT ( _taught to kill their emotions entirely_ ) felt _something_ \- showed something _anything_ -

-she showed _nothing_.

“Hokage- _sama_ might say otherwise about your deeds,” she said, foot sliding forward deliberately.

Shunichi couldn’t quite hold back the scoff that escaped ( _-but how did she know that -?_ ). He glared at her, squashing the fear completely and straightening from his crouch. “Sarutobi is an old fool and should have retired _years_ ago,” he spat.

“So you turn traitor and sabotage your village?” she asked, tone still lacking any inflection as her feet slid forward in another light step.

His eyes narrowed furthered, taking a subtle step back and beginning to mould chakra, and questioned neutrally, “What are you talking about?”

“Oh? You don’t recognize me, do you?”

A flicker of red was his only warning - he barely managed to block the blade aiming to gut him and the chakra he had been moulding burst out suddenly as he lost control over it. There was the hiss of steel and he hurriedly pulled another kunai to block the second blade. The woman’s face was suddenly in his, and there was finally an emotion in her eyes (- it wasn’t one he wanted to see - curiosity wasn’t something you wanted directed at you as a _spy_ -).

“Attempting to spark a war between Kumogakure and Konohagakure by kidnapping the heiress is generally considered treason, _Shunichi_ ,” she informed him, blinking at him slowly and looking as if she _wasn’t_ pressing down on him with two blades. “Did you not know that?”

“That’s not _treason_!” he spat, shoving at her with chakra enhanced strength - but she simply spun out of the way easily, her hair a banner of red. “War is _needed_ to become _great_ \- to make Konoha great again!” He may have been taught to control his emotions and as a spy he had to carefully portray the correct responses - but this woman was - she - she knew too much and talked as if what she said was _fact_ \- it -

 _It irritated him_.

“Konoha is nothing but a dried out _husk_ of what it could have _been_ !” he hissed, slashing at her and forming seals with his other hand after tossing his other kunai at her. “Danzou- _sama_ will make it great again - Konoha will be number one once more! We will be feared - we will be _strong_ ! War will make that happen - make it _possible_ \- and _I will not have you stand in the way of that_!”

She made a curious humming noise, skipping out of the way and arms whipping past in a blur and cutting a thin line on his cheek. “You truly believe the blood of children and your comrade in arms will make you strong - make Konoha strong? That fear will make us the strongest?” she asked, sounding _genuinely curious_. She ducked in close, twisting her sword just _so_ and knocking his kunai out of his hand and spinning the other in an unseen blur that sliced through the tender skin of the underside of his wrist - his fingers numbed and the unfinished jutsu fizzled out. He bit back a shout of pain, blood pouring from the wound and he stared up at her face (when had he _fallen_ ?) which was peering down at him, her hair a river of _red_.

“Do you know who it was that made the academy? Who paved the way for three-man cells to _flourish_ and make _teamwork work_?” she asked benignly, her eyes burning gold and swords sunk in the earth on either side of his neck - if he so much as _twitched_ they’d bite deep and end with _death_ \- “Who made it possible for _children_ to not have to _die_ on a battlefield - to instead carry the _will_ of their protectors?” Her claw tipped fingers tapped his pulse and he felt something spark and then _slither_ across his skin.

Her head tilted, expression still holding that mild _fascinated_ curiosity - _why did it terrify him so much?_ \- and she continued, “Senju _Tobirama_ \- your _precious_ Danzou- _sama’s_ beloved _sensei_.”

Suddenly, her fingers pried open his mouth and with a harsh tug held his tongue with her thumb and forefinger out roughly. For a brief moment there was sheer, unadulterated _fury_ on her expression - but it was gone in barely a second and he wasn’t even sure if he truly saw it. “Hoh,” she drawled lowly. “You really _do_ believe in him - you have no seal.”

Shunichi only had a bare moment to think - _how did she know about the ROOT seals?_ \- before his vision went black.

**|**

**_Year 107 - May 19 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

**|**

**Inoichi** had already retired from being the Head of Torture and Interrogation a year ago, when his successor ( _it should have been Shuukaku -_ ) stormed into his home looking more pissed off than usual. Withholding a sigh, the blonde set his cup down on the table and inquired blandly, “May I help you with something, Ibiki- _kun_?”

“ _Your_ wayward student uncovered a _traitor_ ,” the scarred man snarled looking like he was about to start pacing around agitatedly, but instead settled on the other side of the table roughly.

Inoichi blinked at the other man mildly, “Oh?”

Ibiki narrowed his eyes at him, but could glean nothing from the head of the Yamanaka Clan (not that that was surprising). He snorted roughly and tossed a coin on the table. It landed with a soft sound, and Inoichi eyed it calmly. It was a simple _ryo_ piece, but he knew his student - knew what the coin signified. A single black blot of ink was on the edge of the coin, looking as if it had simply been on the wrong side of an ink spill.

“I found this on the body,” Ibiki said gruffly, looking even more annoyed if possible.

The former head of T&I quirked a pale eyebrow and asked blandly, “And why are you throwing this on my table?”

Ibiki rolled his eyes and stood. “No one else knows about it,” he said, eyes dark and then left the house just as quickly as he had stormed in.

Inoichi snorted quietly in the silence of his home, running a single finger over the edge of his table and activating the seal placed there. Shuukaku had placed privacy and security seals in all of their homes, and while they were nowhere close to the ones in her twin’s room (according to the redhead), they were significantly stronger than any standard one, and not easily bypassed. (in fact, Takeo and Kiyoshi’s rooms were virtually untouchable, and in fact locked down to where no one but _him_ or Shuukaku were able to enter)

He eyed the _ryo_ for a moment longer, before sighing and tapping the coin with his finger, sending a spike of his chakra into the metal as he did so. It glowed white for a brief moment, before a scroll appeared on top of the coin. It was a plain scroll, trimmed in red, and sealed with a mark of ink that vaguely resembled a paw print. He pricked his finger with his tooth and pressed it against the mark. The scroll glowed briefly and then unfurled.

**_Sensei,_ **

**_I found one traitor, but where’s the other one?_ **

**_Red_ **

Inoichi frowned. Other one?

It would seem he would have to visit Ibiki and see just what it was about the traitor she had found that would indicate a second one. And if there _was_ a second one - well - it wouldn’t do to have them still in the village, now would it?

**|**

**_Year 107 - June 12 - Atsuma - Earth Country_ **

**|**

**Deidara** wasn’t quite sure how this all came about.

One minute he was about to get impaled by the blade of the attacking hunter-nin from Iwagakure, then he was halfway across the field he was currently in and the shinobi was beheaded.

The blonde child blinked stupidly, staring at the strange woman that was standing over the beheaded hunter-nin, blade gleaming with blood at her side. Her hair was a river of red, and that tugged at something in the back of his mind. The woman glared down at the body before sniffing and turning away from it, instead prowling towards _him_.

(he would forever deny the terrified squeak that escaped.)

“Hello, _koneko_ ,” the woman purred, brown eyes boring into his own blue eyes and he stumbled back, raising a kunai towards her while he slipped his other hand into the pouch on his lower back. Her chakra flickered against his senses, a light touch that was as much _burning_ as it was _warmth_.

He stared at her, mind connecting the pieces and then screeched, “ _You’re_ the one who’s been _stalking_ me?”

The kunoichi paused, expression twisting into genuine surprise and she asked in return, “You could _sense_ me?” There was no point in denying the stalking part. Ever since she had stepped foot into Earth Country because of the rumors of a terrorist bomber and had caught her _kitten’s_ scent she had followed after him. The fact that he could sense her though? That was surprising. Even without going into her stealth mode, any shinobi was hard pressed to sense her.

A brat eight years younger than her with half her training sensing her?

Well, if that didn’t mean he was her _kitten_ , she didn’t know what would.

“ _Impressive_ , kitten,” she purred proudly, stopping her approach a few feet away. He stared at her with narrowed blue eyes, one hand still behind his back. He was _adorable_ . “ _Kages_ haven’t even noticed me following them.”

Deidara blanched and his hand faltered in front of him. “You’re that _Yūrei_ lady!” he sputtered, stepping back again and wishing he was anywhere _but_ there at that very moment. He had heard about _Uzumaki no Yūrei_ briefly before he had defected, and then suddenly he was hearing whispers about her _everywhere he went_. There were rumors about her coming out of _every corner of the Elemental Nations_ , and that was fucking _terrifying_ to think about.

“So it would seem,” she responded, sounding fondly amused, which threw him a little. Why would she have any reason to be _fond_ of _him_?

“Why are you _stalking_ me?” he demanded, though rationally he _probably_ shouldn’t demand anything from a shinobi labelled a S-Class threat by his old village. But seriously, _why would said S-Class nukenin be stalking him!?_

She looked at him, head tilting to the side and for a second he could’ve sworn her eyes flashed gold. “You’re my kitten,” she answered matter factly, as if that one statement was the obvious answer and _made any sense_.

He stared.

“You’re _what_?”

The woman huffed out a vaguely amused kind of noise and answered, “Kitten, child, little one. There’s multiple ways of calling it. My clan just happens to use _kitten_.”

He stared even more.

“That makes _zero_ sense, un,” he blurted out. He couldn’t _possibly_ be her child. He _remembered_ his mother, however hazily, and he was _fairly_ positive the old man would have mentioned if she had been an _Uzumaki_ of all things. “I’m pretty sure you’re not related to me, lady,” he pointed out. (or at least he _thought_ so)

Her lips pulled into a feline like smirk, “Not by blood, kitten.” Her tone of voice was still fond, and her chakra was still that burning warmth that actually made him feel safe. “My clan have had a habit of adopting stray children and taking them in as their own. Nobody knows _how_ they go about it - if they choose randomly, or if by scent or something _else_ \- either way I knew you were _mine_ when I was in Iwagakure last year.”

Deidara couldn’t stop the warm fuzzy feeling in his stomach if he tried. Nobody had ever claimed him as _theirs_ . Not his _sensei_ or his teammates, not even the old man. To hear her (even if she _was_ a dangerous stranger) claim just that made the lonely child that had lashed out at everyone around him so incredibly happy it was nearly overwhelming.

“Why didn’t you take me then?” he asked, curious despite himself and knowing he should probably be running in the opposite direction as fast as he possibly could.

Her gaze pierced into his own, and the smirk faded away, her brow furrowing into a frown. “Would you have been _happy_ if I had?” she questioned in return, voice serious. He opened his mouth to say a vehement _yes_ , but stopped. Because - because he _wouldn’t_ have been happy if she had stolen him away back then. He had still been so in love with his village that he would have resented her taking him away from that. She gave him a knowing stare and continued, “ _That_ is why. As long as you were in that village, I could never have you, even if you _are_ mine.”

He slowly lowered his kunai, though he kept his distance. The blonde eyed the redhead shrewdly and asked cautiously, “What would being your _kitten_ mean exactly?”

She hummed, tone back to being fondly amused, and answered simply, “Whatever _you_ want it to mean.”

His gaze flicked over to the dead body she had killed _for him_ , then back at her and made a decision. If it backfired, well, he’d probably be too dead to worry too much about it.

**|**

**_Year 107 - August 12 - Wadomari - Tea Country_ **

**|**

**“Kidnapping** kids instead of information, _Red_?”

Shuukaku blinked, turning towards the shinobi who’d spoken, and let a sharp grin cross her face, “What about you? Got tired of _trying_ to assassinate a Kage and decided to adopt a kid instead?”

Momochi Zabuza glowered at her, but she noted he kept a wary hand on the handle of his sword. Said kid at his side, peered at her through long hair, and had their own hand hovering over a pouch on their thigh. She let her grin widen and purred, “Relax, Momochi, I’ve got nothing against you. I’m only here for a mission.”

He continued to glower at her, but grunted, “Funny, so am I.”

“Oh?”

The two older shinobi eyed each other, and their younger companions kept one eye on each other and the other eye on their travelling partners. Eventually, Shuukaku shrugged her shoulder and offered lazily, “Wanna team up for it? We can split the pay or something.”

Zabuza eyed her, weighing the pros and cons of teaming up with the rather brash redhead that had invaded his village and could probably blackmail anyone she wished. He had heard the rumors of the _Uzumaki no Yūrei_ and even managed to get his hands on some of the Bingo Books of the other villages. The books may not have explicitly stated what they wanted her dead or alive for, but he remembered just _where_ she had emerged from back in that damn Mizukage’s office - _and_ what she had taunted Yagura with.

He’d prefer her _on his_ team rather than _against_ him.  

“What the fuck,” he grunted, lowering his hand away from his sword. “Fine, _Red_.”

“Zabuza- _sama_?”

The swordsman glance down at the kid and tried not to sigh. “She’s a fellow _nukenin_ , Haku, though _fuck_ knows where she fucking came from. She helped me out awhile back,” he grumbled, only half-irritated. He could acknowledge the fact she had basically saved his ass back in the office, as well as making it a hell of a lot easier in leaving the fucking place.

(his mind was _still_ trying to figure out _how the fuck_ they had managed to leave through the _front gate_ )

“Awww, I knew you liked me,” said redhead cooed, a shiteating grin stretched across her face. He chucked a kunai at her face, but she simply caught it with a cackle, even twirling it around her finger.

“ _Senpai_?” Deidara asked, only sounding _slightly_ weirded out. After nearly two months with the woman he had become mostly immune to her vast set of quirks and general weirdness he chalked up to her being an Uzumaki. (this had happened primarily due to Shuukaku tracking Yuma down so he could check her _kitten_ over and the ensuing insanity that was the two’s relationship had been an _experience_ -)

The redhead waved a hand carelessly (and if it just so happened to toss the kunai back at Zabuza - well, Deidara certainly wasn’t going to mention it), and responded, “Don’t worry about it, kitten. He’s _mostly_ harmless.”

“ _Harmless_ ?” said shinobi sputtered. “What the _fuck_ , woman?”

Shuukaku flashed him an all tooth grin, looking entirely unrepentant, and a quiet snort from the direction of Haku had Zabuza glaring down at the kid instead. Except Haku’s face was completely blank. Zabuza narrowed his eyes at his apprentice.

“Anyway, it makes things easier with four people,” Shuukaku added lightly, casually looking at her claw tipped hands. “A family of four if a lot less conspicuous than a single mother and her child.”

There was a beat of silence as Zabuza slowly turned his head back to her.

“A _what_ of four?”

**|**

**“This** is fucking bullshit,” Zabuza growled, fingers digging into Shuukaku’s waist, where his arm was currently resting.

She hid her face with a fan decorated in water lilies and swirls, and murmured gleefully, “Now, now, _dear_. Such language shouldn’t be used within earshot of the children.” Zabuza snarled at her, but quieted down to mutters under his breath. Shuukaku snickered into her fan.

She had been surprised the man had allowed her to place seals on him _and_ his apprentice. Most shinobi knew that any seal you _didn’t know_ shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near you, _especially_ if someone was trying to place said seal. Most of that fear stemmed from the Uzumakis and Uzushiogakure in general - which was why Konohagakure, being an ally, had and _knew_ seals more than any other hidden village. Kirigakure had all of _one_ actual “seal master” - and he had learned through trial and error from the ruins of Uzushio.

(which was the reason for his absolutely _horrendous_ seal work in her mind - you didn’t grave rob an _Uzumaki_ \- that was just asking to have something blow up in your face or get _cursed_ )

But the swordsman had allowed for the placement of her illusions seal.

They were now a family of dark haired, brown eyed people with a gruff father, serene mother, and their two lovely daughters, that they were _very_ proud of. They were in the village to visit family before making their way back home (having been on vacation before then). The villager’s greeted them all fondly, especially after Shuukaku (or Shuukei, as she was called) explained she was finally bringing her family there to visit Hara Gemmei, the village’s midwife.

Zabuza hadn’t really wanted to ask how the kunoichi even _knew_ the woman, or was associated as family to said woman.

Of course, in reality they were all shinobi on a bodyguard mission (or rather Zabuza was - Shuukaku on the other hand, well, again he hadn’t wanted to ask honestly -). Shuukaku just found it hilarious that their employer hired two different _nukenin_ for what would normally only be _one_ mission. She hadn’t informed the man of _that_ \- she needed the money since she wasn’t exactly getting _paid_ for leaving her village.

A bodyguard mission could very easily be paired with an _assassination_ after all.

And who would look at a simple family of four visiting a well-known relative?

(of course, she wasn’t going to tell Zabuza that the family facade wasn’t actually necessary in any way for either mission -)

“ _Okaasan_ , are we there yet?” Deidara whined in a childishly pitched voice, reluctant humor dancing in his eyes. He knew of course that the mission _they_ had picked up was different from the one their current companions had - and that the woman had only picked it up because it was in an area she needed to go to anyways. She had mentioned something about rumors of someone she was looking for floating around the area she wanted to check up on.

(he hadn’t asked who she was looking for - he could recognize the look on her face well enough)

Haku looked entirely serene in his own kimono that mirrored the one the two’s ‘ _mother_ ’ was currently wearing, and had his own fan open over the lower half of his face. He had gotten to keep his already dark hair and eyes, but his formerly pale skin had been darkened into a dusky tone. Deidara was actually rather jealous of the ease that his younger companion wore the feminine clothing.

The blonde had experimented with female clothing before on the days where he hadn’t quite felt like male - but the old man had caught him once and had not understood in the least. (he hadn’t tried on a single feminine article of clothing again after that) Two months hadn’t been nearly long enough with Shuukaku to feel comfortable enough to confess his proclivities and he hadn’t - so he was unused to the clothes, but was getting steadily more comfortable in them.

(he crushed the voice that wondered if his _senpai_ would let him keep the kimono to wear on his own time and not for a mission)

“ _Maa_ , Dei- _chan_ , patience,” the turned dark haired woman smiled, snapping her fan shut, and tapping her now equally dark haired _kitten_ on the head lightly. “It’s just a few streets down.”

Deidara pouted, crossing his arms, and Haku peered over at him from above his own fan. “Will Hara- _sama_ like us, _o-okaasan_?” the other child asked, stumbling slightly over the title the strange woman had told them to call her.

Zabuza felt his eye twitch. The domestic feeling was giving him _hives_ . Shuukaku merely continued to smile serenely as she answered, “Hush now, Haku- _chan_ , if you behave, I’m certain my _okaasama_ will _adore_ you.” Zabuza wondered if it actually _had_ been a mistake to team up with the so called _Yūrei_ \- he was starting to regret his choice honestly.

“Shuu- _chan_ !” a voice called over the din of the village and the woman snapped her fan open again over her face. An older woman broke through a crowd, her hair pulled back in a loose bun and skin a dusky brown that spoke of work out under the sun. Zabuza noted with a little surprise that the illusion seal _Red_ had used modelled her own and the “kids” likeness to the newcomer.

She reached the group with a welcoming smile stretched across her face and clasped her hands over the one Shuukaku offered, “It’s been too long, Shuu- _chan_ ,” she greeted warmly. “You’ve grown!” Gemmei moved one hand to the redhead’s cheek (who moved the fan just enough to allow it), smile fading a little, and she continued, “Oh, dearie. _Come_ ; let’s get you settled.”

Shuukaku moved away from Zabuza, snaking her hand around Deidara’s shoulders after the older woman had let go, still hiding the lower half of her face with her hand. She flicked a look over at Zabuza and murmured, sounding amused, “And now we have free lodging. You’re welcome.” There was a quiet snort from Haku’s direction, but when Zabuza turned to glare, the child only looked serene.

**|**

**Gemmei’s** house was a modest thing with two bedrooms, office, living room, and kitchen. Shuukaku mentioned there was a basement, but Zabuza wasn’t sure where the hell one would even _be_ in the disgustingly quaint place. “You two take the spare bedroom,” the kunoichi said, puttering around the kitchen with an obvious ease that spoke of familiarity. “Me and Dei- _chan_ will take the office.” He briefly thought about arguing, but shoved it away immediately.

He wasn’t going to give up a free offer of an actual _bed_.

“We’re heading out tomorrow morning,” he grunted, gesturing absently towards Haku. Shuukaku hummed and his eyebrow twitched. “ _What_?” he snapped, glowering at her suspiciously.

“Oh nothing really,” she responded airily, eyes glittering. “Just, I thought you might want an assassination mission, rather than a simple bodyguard one - since, you know, that _is_ your specialization and all.”

He stared.

“The fuck you mean?”

“We were given assassination mission specs,” Deidara supplied lazily, taking the offered tea Shuukaku had just made. Gemmei had left them to their own devices shortly after arriving at her home, one of her patients having gone into labour unexpectedly. So they were free to discuss whatever they wished (especially since he could see his _senpai’s_ seal work all over the house).

“I don’t mind assassinations,” Shuukaku explained, placing a cup down in front of Haku, who nodded quietly in thanks. (considering her _twin sister_ was an assassin - it was rather hard _to_ mind them really) “But I would prefer to do a bodyguard mission in this area.” It would let her place her seals easier in the area - and gather any gossip while she was physically there. He continued to glare at her suspiciously, and she rolled her eyes.

Leaning forward and allowing her top to gape open a little, revealing the swells of her breasts and her collarbone (which had a fading bruise that looked suspiciously like teeth marks). Her lips curled into a sultry smile, and her gaze turned hooded. She had one hand resting on the table as she leaned, the other placing a cup silently in front of the man. His gaze flickered briefly over the exposed skin, pausing on the hickey (what _else_ would it be?) - and could very easily picture her _underneath him, gasping for breath_ -

“No quarrel with you, _lovely_ ,” she purred.

- _could she purr in an entirely different way?_ -

Abruptly she pulled back and the allure snapped. Her expression turned bored, and she examined her nails carelessly as she added, “Besides, the assassination pays better - and I’m sure you could find a better _use_ in that extra money.”

He glowered, “ _Fine_.”

She snickered at him and then said cheerily, “I doubt you want to spend a few days with courtesans, _lovely_.”

Zabuza snarled at her, but didn’t respond.

Not just _anyone_ could find out about the rebellion going on in the shadows of Kirigakure. The place was virtually a black hole to the rest of the world - and _yet_ \- this woman had managed to sneak in _undetected_ and get into the _Kage Archives_.

And then escaped after _letting_ herself get caught in the act (-through the _fucking front gate even_ -)

Then proceeded to do it to _every single village_ in the fucking _country_ \- ferreting out any secret possible. She had managed to make herself the most wanted person in the world - and wasn’t doing anything with the information gained. He may be one of the best assassins Kirigakure’s ever seen, but even _he_ would have difficulty getting in and out of a village like she apparently could.

He would never admit it out loud but she terrified the fucking shit out of him.

“Zabuza- _sama_?”

Haku’s quiet voice pulled him from his thoughts and he turned to the kid. The boy blinked at him solemnly, a silent question in his eyes. Zabuza had managed to avoid taking assassination missions while Haku was with him - but that wasn’t really an option here - and honestly, the kid would have to learn eventually.

“You’re still coming with,” he grunted, any reluctance buried deep and out of sight. He pretended not to see the disappointment Haku hadn’t quite managed to hide.

Shuukaku eyed the two thoughtfully, but ignored it. Whatever was going on there wasn’t any of her business. “You mind being a girl for a few more days, _kitten_?” she asked her own companion, peering at him seriously.

He shook his head and answered in what was probably supposed to be a flippant tone, “Nah, I don’t mind.” His fingers twisted around the teacup, never fully applying pressure - and his eyes were carefully diverted away from her. She could hear the unsure and nervous undertone to his voice and the read the tightness in his slightly hunched shoulders.

And she suddenly had the urge to go brutally murder the Tsuchikage.

The redhead simply hummed instead, and rested her hand on the blonde’s head briefly. She’d bring it up at a later date - when they weren’t teamed up with relative unknowns. If the kid wanted to be a girl occasionally, then by _kami-sama_ he would.

**|**

**“I** was expecting you to come by sooner, Shuu- _chan_ ,” Gemmei mentioned quietly, nursing a cup of tea against the kitchen table. Shuukaku was leaning against the opposite counter, her own cup of tea in her hands. The moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the two woman in a pale glow.

“I had other things to do first,” the redhead returned, tone faintly apologetic.

The older woman looked amused. “Like becoming the world’s most wanted?” she asked dryly, taking a sip of her tea.

“Something like that.”

Gemmei eyed her silently for a moment. She had known the woman standing across from her when she was a lowly genin, her sensei being an old friend and contact point. Inoichi had brought his team to meet her, knowing that if they ever _had_ ended up in any kind of trouble, they would have a safe place to go. The girl had been burning bright and her boys were obviously so enchanted with her and _each other_ \- she had thought nothing would ever tear those three a part.

( _-now the redhead looked worn and tired - none of that burning brightness evident - practically a shadow of what she once was_ -)

After a moment she poked cautiously, “I’m surprised those two boys aren’t with you. The three of you were thick as thieves last I saw.”

It _hurt_ surprisingly to hear them mentioned - Shuukaku had thought she had healed mostly for them - but then it _had_ been a long time since someone who _knew_ them talked about them. She swallowed back a distressed whine and managed to answer, “They’re dead.”

The words came shockingly easily - and she wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that. It was the first time she had really said the words out loud and it was not - it wasn’t - she - warm hands touched her cheeks and she startled.

Gemmei looked pained and for a moment Shuukaku couldn’t figure out _why_. “Shuukaku,” she started, but stopped, pursing her lips together and seeming to rethink what she wanted to say. After a moment she simply asked, “What do you need?”

There were a million different ways she could answer that question and something inside her wailed for the woman to _bring them back to her please_ \- but - but that would never happen and the words were swallowed back. “I’m looking for someone,” was the answer that surfaced.

“Oh?”

Shuukaku hummed, pushing her pain deep inside her mind and continued, “I don’t know _when_ he passed through - but he would’ve had bright red hair, similar to mine, and answered to the name Haruki.”

Gemmei narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and took another sip of her tea. “I believe I remember one such fellow,” she started slowly, gazing somewhere over Shuukaku’s shoulder, obviously in deep thought. “He was drifting through, honestly. I doubt I would have even remembered him if it hadn’t been for the hair - he was…” She trailed off, brow furrowed. “He was searching for something - couldn’t tell anyone _what_ he was looking for exactly.”

Shuukaku blinked, surprised at the fact that Haruki had _actually passed through the village_ . She had mostly been hoping for rumors of some kind from neighboring villages or something - not that he had actually passed through _here_. “When was this?” she asked.

“A couple years ago,” Gemmei answered, gaze focusing back on the other woman. “He was heading towards the coast last I heard - it was like the ocean called to him.”

Shuukaku was quiet for a moment and then murmured, “I need you to get a message to _sensei_ \- after I leave.”

“Anything for you, Shuu- _chan_.”

**|**

**_Year 107 - September 14 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

**|**

**Kei** kept her face carefully flat as she stood before the civilian and shinobi council, her chakra tightly leashed beneath her skin. She had been expecting the confrontation, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t hoped that it _wouldn’t_ happen. Half of the issue was simply the civilian half of the council and whatever whispers Danzou was putting in their ears ( _and she had no doubt he_ was _doing said whispering-_ ).

Shikaku had been asked to set a proxy in his stead since it was his genin student in question - and to everyone’s silent shock it was Nara Tooru that sat in the Nara Head’s chair. The woman hadn’t been seen outside of the Nara Compound in years - and to have her sitting in the chair on the council looking coldly regal was rather nerve inducing. Akimichi Chouza and Yamanaka Inoichi were in their usual spots on either side of the Nara Clan - not looking nearly as intimidating as the woman next to them.

The other Shinobi Clan Heads there were Hyuuga Hiashi (looking almost _irritated_ at being there), Uchiha Fugaku (face set in a stern expression with little emotion), Inuzuka Tsume (lips curled in a half snarl and claws tapping against the table), and Aburame Shibi (coldly silently and unreadable). At the head of the room were the Three Elders, Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and Shimura Danzou. The Hokage had opted to take a place at the back of Kei, face virtually unreadable and hands folded into the sleeves of his robes. The civilian half of the council was on the opposite wall to their shinobi counterparts.

“This meeting is to deal with the child known as Uzumaki Naruto,” Danzou began, ending the previous mutterings between people. “And his living situation and caretaker status.”

Kei blinked mildly at the penetrating stare from the man, and Homura was the one to continue, “Suzuki Kei you are accused of breaking the rule set after Mikan Nishiki’s death that Uzumaki was to be placed in the orphanage’s care with no further interference of shinobi guardians. It has been brought to the council’s attention that you have been affiliating yourself with Uzumaki and taking him away from the orphanage - subsequently filling in the role of a shinobi guardian.”

“I have done no such thing,” the kunoichi responded blandly (it took more effort than it probably should to remove her usual colorful language from her statements). “I have only set up a sort of daycare for shinobi children, of which Uzumaki Naruto is, _need I remind you_ , and I have gotten _explicit permission_ from the orphanage to have the boy under my care for certain parts of the days.”

She paused for a second, keeping her voice level and gaze locked with the village elders, and added a little sharply, “Or would you like to accuse me of being a shinobi guardian of every clan heir in the village?”

“Excuse me?” one of the civilian councilman blurted, eyebrows raised incredulously. He flinched minutely when the kunoichi’s gaze turned to him and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end at her stare. It was like he was under a venomous viper’s cold stared as they prepared to strike.

“As I stated _before_ \- I run a daycare for _shinobi children_ ,” she started somewhat slowly, obviously implying he was a complete _moron_. “I watch over every single clan heir and then some in this village - _including_ honourable Uchiha- _sama’s_ and honourable Hyuuga- _sama_ ’s children.”

“It’s not exactly a _secret_ what Suzuki- _chan_ does,” Nara Tooru drawled, breaking the somewhat offended silence that had fallen. The woman looked bored as she leaned a cheek on her fist, slouched in the chair she was sitting in. “She watches over Shikamaru- _kun_ for Shikaku- _sama_ and his wife, allowing them some freedom and the ability to not be infringing on the Clan’s duties.”

Beside her Inoichi looked bland as he added, “My Ino- _chan_ is a handful and I am not always available to watch her - Suzuki- _chan’s_ daycare allows for me to be able to get my own work done without having to worry about my heir.”

“I do not understand why we are even discussing this topic,” Hiashi cut in sharply, pearly white eyes narrowed in an aggravated glare. “What is the issue here precisely?”

To the civilian’s shock, Fugaku nodded in agreement and drawled derisively, “Is there a _point_ to all of this? Suzuki has done nothing to warrant this farce of a meeting.”

“But- the Uzumaki child-?” someone started, words stammered and obviously thrown by the agreement of two clans notorious for hating each other and would _never_ actively agree with the other.

Tsume butted in with a growled, “What of the brat?”

“He’s the - well - he’s,” another started.

“The _demon_ child?” Tooru scoffed, narrowing her previously lazy gaze into something sharper - _colder_ \- at the other side of the room. She straightened from her slouch, flicking her long braid over her shoulder, and the scars on her face made it look as if she was snarling somewhat. “You civilians shouldn’t have been told about Jinchūriki in the first place if you can’t even understand the principle - or are you _doubting Yondaime-sama’s work?_ ”

Many of the civilian’s paled. It wasn’t even that the kunoichi was leaking killing intent or anything of the kind - it was simply the air she carried around her made it seem as if you were staring into the abyss - _and it was staring right back at you and didn’t like what it was looking at_. “And what of her breaking of an S-Class secret?” Danzou cut in smoothly.

Tooru looked unimpressed. “What S-Class secret did she _supposedly_ break?” the woman asked mildly, tapping her fingers against the arm of her chair.

“The boy’s parentage-,” the elder began, but Tooru cut him off with a loud snort.

The Clan Heads were all looking at Danzou with varying expressions of incredulity, and it was Tsume that barked out, “Are you fucking _blind_? Anyone with a few working brain cells can take one look at the brat and know who the hell he’s related to - letting him use the Uzumaki name isn’t exactly fucking _inconspicuous_ either.”

“The only thing S-Class about Kushina- _san_ ,” Fugaku drawled, arms folded across his chest. “Was her _status_.”

“The boy’s father-,” Homura tried, but like Danzou was cut off by a snort.

Surprisingly, it originated from _Hiashi_ . The Hyuuga gave the elders an utterly flat stare and said blandly, “ _Is still secret_ . The only thing the boy knows about his parentage is his _mother_ \- who was not a part of that secret only her _status_ , as Uchiha- _sama_ just stated.”

“So I will reiterate what my fellow councilmen asked previously,” Tooru intoned icily. “ _s there a point to this meeting?_ ”

There was a beat, and then: “What of Kita Hachimitsu?”

Kei couldn’t help but stare (in fact so was Fugaku, honestly). “And what does Kita- _chan_ have to do with any of this?” Shibi asked, voice completely void of anything besides an icy levelness. Many hid their surprise at the Aburame actually speaking up in the meeting, considering he rarely ever did - and this was not necessarily a topic most of them thought he would contribute too.

“Does she not have contact with the boy?”

“Uh, _no_ ,” Kei said, barely managing to keep her tone from implying an _obviously_ . What was this man _playing at_? She wanted to continue and elaborate the fact that the Hokage had _ordered_ Hachimitsu to have no contact with the child - but that would reveal too much information to the man about how close Kei actually was to the other kunoichi.

Thankfully, Hiruzen spoke up for the first time as well, voice mild as he added, “I ordered Hachimitsu- _chan_ to have no contact of any form with Naruto- _kun_ \- and she has followed that order.” It was a subtle reminder that the Hokage was fond of both Hachimitsu _and_ Naruto - and that he would not allow that line of questioning to continue any further.

“And Kita Shuukaku? Has _she_ not had contact with the boy?”

Kei barely managed to stop herself from frowning - or her chakra escaping her iron clad control over it. Shuukaku was too careful to have let Danzou know she was in the village - _unless she had wanted him to know_. Kei had wondered when she had run into her friend at the ramen stand a year ago - why she hadn’t used a more ordinary illusion - instead using one that held an uncannily resemblance to Uzumaki Kushina.

She didn’t understand or know - but this - oh _this_ \- she could answer and watch the man _squirm_ if only a little.

“Kita Shuukaku has had no contact with the boy,” Kei responded blandly, not even _trying_ to contain her tone of voice that implied he was a _moron_.

“Did she not infiltrate the village a year ago and steal important information?” Danzou retorted sharply, eyes narrowed.

Kei stared him squarely in the eye and said, “Kita Shuukaku has not appeared since she betrayed the village five years ago - _Uzumaki no Yūrei_ was the one to infiltrate the village.” Then - _just because she could_ \- added, “You might want to check the Bingo Book occasionally, honorable elder, it’s important to keep up to date on the shinobi of the world.”

**|**

**Danzou** looked down at the book in his hand, confused (though he would never admit to it) over what he was seeing. The Konohagakure Bingo Book should have listed Kita Shuukaku as a missing-nin, except the page that she was originally on - it - it was - instead of Kita Shuukaku it listed _Uzumaki_ Shuukaku. But - he distinctly remembered looking at the page before and seeing _Kita_ not _Uzumaki_ \- so how had this happened?

(-what one should remember is that the Oden Clan - no matter how far spread they were - protect their own - and that included _nukenin_ \- if Shuukaku was going to become the Ghost of Uzushio - then the least they could do was make sure she was listed as an Uzumaki in the Bingo Book - it wasn’t even lying if it was true-)

**|**

**_Year 107 - October 21 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

**|**

**Naruto** only had blurry images of his time before the orphanage - but the blurred memories he had he held onto tightly and refused to let go. He never wanted to forget Nishi- _nii_ or Shi- _nii_ or Hachi- _nee_ or Shuu- _nee_ . It didn’t matter that Nishi- _nii’s_ face was mostly blurred out and he could only really clearly remember his bright orange hair and his gentle hands - or that Hachi- _nee_ was a mixture of orange and purple and had cat ears but her face escaped him entirely - or that Shi- _nii_ had a warm smile and always ready to laugh, but he couldn’t remember what he looked like really - or that Shuu- _nee_ had _red_ hair and always tickled him with nimble fingers but he can’t remember what she sounded like.

Naruto had some pictures of them all - but Kei- _nee_ got really quiet and sad whenever they were brought out or he tried to ask about them. She would mention them occasionally - but the moments had been few and far between. And - he wasn’t _stupid_ . When the daycare had really started going, he had learned that Nishi- _nii_ was _dead_ and _never_ coming back - but Hachi- _nee_ and Shi- _nii_ were forbidden from seeing him - and Shuu- _nee_ was - she was - she was considered a traitor to the village - and -

He could never believe that - _would_ never believe it.

And he could only imagine what Kei- _nee_ or Hachi- _nee_ were going through - so he tried his hardest to be good for Kei- _nee_ \- to make her _happy_.

It worked - most of the time.

**|**

**“Kei-** ** _nee_** **?** ” Naruto asked quietly, creeping into the woman’s room nervously. When Kei hadn’t been at the orphanage like she usually was, waiting to pick him up for the daycare for the weekend - he had gone to her house instead, worried. She had never missed a day before - and always sent someone in her place if _she_ couldn’t make it. The house had been eerily silent when he had arrived, but the door was unlocked, so he had entered anyways.

When his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, he realized that something was seriously wrong. Kei- _nee_ was motionless on her bed, sprawled out in an awkward position - and he rushed forward. “Kei- _nee_!” he shouted, scrambling onto the bed and reaching out to touch her face, which was completely slack, eyes closed. Fear clawed at his stomach and throat and tears spilled over as he realized her skin was close too icy cold. “Kei- _nee_?” he whispered shakily, shaking her shoulder a little.

She didn’t move.

**|**

**_Year 107 - October 21 - Uzumaki Ichizoku no Nōmendō - Fire Country_ **

**|**

**“** ** _Senpai_ ** **?** ” Deidara asked warily when the woman suddenly froze on the dilapidated steps leading into the equally as decrepit building. The entrance was half caved in, the doors threatening to break completely under the weight of the roof, and half the shrine had seemed to just crush in on itself. The kunoichi had never said what exactly she was here for - but from the Uzumaki Clan crest that adorned the relatively intact face of the entrance - the blonde could take a wild guess.

Except the woman had frozen on the spot for no apparent reason - her head turned in the direction Deidara knew Konohagakure was. The expression on her face was - it was _naked fear_ \- and that -that scared _him_.

“ _Senpai_ ?” he tried again, moving closer to her and trying to see whatever it was that _she_ was seeing. He couldn’t sense anything or _one_ \- and the forest surrounding them was eerily silent aside from the rustling of leaves.

“We’re leaving.”

Her voice was low and thrummed with a primal kind of _fear_ and Deidara couldn’t even begin to bring himself to question her. He simply followed after her - even when he realized they were going _towards_ Konohagakure. Something had happened and somehow she _knew_ that something had happened - and whatever it was _terrified_ her.

The pace she set was desperate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS…WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO END UP THIS FUCKING LONG – in FACT this whole fucking story wasn’t supposed to end up this long or convoluted and im a little utterly terrified of it because of this – most of this whole thing is self-indulgent but for whatever readers I do have that enjoy this let me tell you: I fucking love you for reading this monster


	6. Chapter 6

**DEFUNCT**

[dih- **fuhngkt** ]

_adjective_

1\. no longer in effect or use; not operating or functioning

2\. no longer in existence; dead; extinct

 

**|**

 

**Summary:** You never know when an Uzumaki will cause chaos. _[Planning World Domination: What Does This Mean for You and Your Family?]_

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Humor

**Warning (s):** crack level humor taken seriously; what-if scenarios; ninjas; violence/gore; unhealthy coping mechanisms; skewed morality; endangerment of minors; alteration of canon events; minor angst; historical bullshit; technical bullshit; screwing with the timeline because of Kiri/Zabuza; underage sex; reference to sex; past reference to underage sexual acts; MASSIVE information dump about the Oden Clan; LOTS of dialogue here too; other things I can’t think of off the top of my head right now

**|**

_Chapter Six:_ The Waiting Game

 

**|**

 

**_Year 107 - October 31 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

**Shikaku** stared at the pale face of his student, looking fragile encased in the white sheets of the hospital bed - and it was wrong, so very wrong. Kei was strong and fierce - she never stayed down for long - to see her so still, so deathly pale, well - it made his chakra _burn_ and the shadows churn restlessly.

The medics could find nothing wrong with the kunoichi, only that she was simply stationed on the precipice of death’s door. It was almost as if Kei was under some kind of stasis state - and wasn’t coming out of it anytime soon. All the kids had been to visit their primary authority and caretaker in daycare - and the adults had taken turns sitting next to the deathly still kunoichi.

Naoki had refused to let the hospital kick him (or anyone _else_ ) out when visiting hours ended - and, honestly, no one wanted to piss off a Kurama fully capable of making a person go insane with paranoia. Shikaku didn’t understand _why_ \- but the look in the boy’s eyes had been dangerous and _fearful_ \- and just because he didn’t have all the pieces, didn’t mean there wasn’t _something_ going on.

So, on a night Naoki couldn’t be there himself, Shikaku volunteered to keep watch instead. He had been irritable lately because Yoshino was out on a mission, and Shikamaru was being rather belligerent. The boy was not happy Kei was in the hospital - or that it was making _Naruto_ so upset. His child was currently with Hiroshi (who had been stalking the shadows of Konohagakure with murder in his aura), and in theory, staying out of trouble.

It was creeping towards two in the morning, when he felt something shift in the shadows. The Nara kept relaxed in his chair, but opened his senses completely, half-sinking into the inky darkness that lurked in the back of his mind. Someone was hovering just inside the shadow of the window leading outside.

Someone _familiar._

“You should know better than to use shadows to try and hide from a Nara,” he drawled blandly, not even opening his eyes to look at the person.

“Wasn’t trying to hide from you, Shikaku- _san,”_ she replied easily, tone off ever so slightly, and body sliding through the shadows towards the bed in the middle of the room. Shikaku didn’t even so much as twitch, but the darkness of the room began to slither across the floor in her direction. “Relax,” she murmured, voice a little rough and pausing in her steps. “I have no desire to harm her.”

He could hear the thread of fear and desperation in her voice now that he was paying attention - and he remembered what she had been like as a kid - the relationship she had with his student.

And - he knew what being an Oden _meant_.

The shadows receded and she crept forward again. He knew the exact moment she reached the bed because there was a low, drawn out whine. He didn’t want to open his eyes - he _wouldn’t_ \- plausible deniability and all that. No one other than a full-blooded Nara knew the extent of the touch of shadows and the connection there - but he could _see_ her with just that, even if it wasn’t the normal kind of sight that people had.

“I can feel her fading away.”

He nearly felt his heart stop. The words were murmured distantly, as if she wasn’t all there in the moment, but they were said with a sense of finality that _scared the shit out of him._ Her fingers ghosted forward, brushing Kei’s pale cheek and he felt more than saw the scrawl of seals that crawled over his student’s face from her fingertips. He tensed, wary now, but not making any move to attack.

“ _Poison?”_ she hissed, fingers jerking away and with it the seal.

Shikaku started, just barely managing to not open his eyes and retorted, “ _What?”_ She let out a low hiss and jerked away from the bed as if it had bitten _her,_ crouching low to the ground and sort of hunching in on herself. The Nara recoiled himself when he felt what had made her react.

Whatever her seal had done, he could now _feel_ his student’s chakra - and instead of the usual burning, corrosive energy it was sluggish and carried with it the scent of _decay._ Chakra always had a certain kind of scent to it that was subtle and most people often didn’t even register it - but it was there. It’s why Aburame’s and Inuzuka’s were such excellent trackers, when even the Byakugan failed their user’s.

And - it suddenly made sense why Garou always had a closed off expression, and he never brought Kenshi with him after the first visit. Kiba was too young to be able to know what he was picking up on, but he too had, had a confused and wary expression whenever he visited.

“What do you mean poisoned? Poisoned by whom?” he demanded, shaking away the stray thoughts and it took nearly everything he had not to open his eyes, damn the consequences.

“Ask - ask _sensei,”_ she managed to choke out, her breathing ragged. “And - Aburame Asuka - she’ll - she’d have the antidote, or at least know how to make one. I have to - I-,” she cut herself off abruptly, her head shooting up and eyes focusing northward. “I have to go,” she paused and then mumbled. “Tell her I’m sorry.”

Then she was gone - _literally._ One moment he could sense her and then the next he _couldn’t._ His eyes snapped open and he jerked forward - she wasn’t there. Even with half his vision overlapped with shadows he couldn’t find a trace. “Fucking _hell,_ Inoichi!” he cursed. “What kind of student did you _train?”_

After a moment of just staring at the place Kita - no - _Uzumaki_ Shuukaku had just been, he lurched over to his student’s prone form. If Kei had been poisoned, there had to be an entry wound - no poison would ever take in her body if she had swallowed it - it would have to be injected directly into the bloodstream, or chakra system.   
(and even then, there was no guarantee it would take either)

Her neck was free of marks - which made sense since she was viciously protective of the vulnerable spot, and even being taken off guard wouldn’t stop her muscle memory. Which left precious few other places to check. Her hands were next, but he could find no evidence of marking there either, nor on her feet. Eyes narrowing, he scanned her body silently and thought through how Naruto explained how he had found his Kei- _nee._

Cringing, he carefully lifted the blanket covering his student, and checked her thigh. Pale purple and yellowing slightly was a small bruised hole directly over her femoral artery. “ _Damn it all,”_ he cursed, letting the blanket fall back over Kei and falling back into his chair and resting a hand over his face. The cloying scent of decay was hanging heavy in the air and it made it hard to think - but there was nothing he could _do_ at the moment _besides_ think.

“Shikaku- _sensei?”_ a cautious voice called out, and he jerked, eyes locking on the still form hovering in the doorway. Hyuuga Kenshin peered at him warily, eyes flicking between him and the prone form of his teammate with confusion.

“Kenshin- _kun,”_ Shikaku greeted tiredly, running a hand over his face. His student had been away on a mission when Kei had been attacked, and had probably rushed over the moment he had been made aware of the situation (no doubt heard from his brother-in-law). It didn’t matter that the new bond they had was still fragile - a decade of being teammates didn’t just _disappear._ “Could you stay here? I need to go talk to someone.”

Kenshin blinked, and then nodded, “Of course, _sensei.”_

 

**|**

 

**_Year 107 - October 31 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

**Shisui** stared at the blonde kid, who was looking right back at him cheeks bulging with food and chopsticks hovering in the air. The kid swallowed nervously, and stuttered, “Erhm. I can explain, _un?”_ The Uchiha continued to stare, taking in the clues that indicated certain things that only a select few people would even _notice._ Like the fact, the kid was baring his neck in the slightest bit of submission - or that he was perched on the table, rather than the chair.

It was the smallest things - and something most people wouldn’t notice or would just place as an odd quirk - except Shisui had practically _grown up_ with Hachimitsu and Shuukaku - he knew pretty much _all_ Hachimitsu’s habits and tells and _most_ of Shuukaku’s. One of the redhead’s quirks was the fact that she wasn’t overly fond of chairs - if there was a table or counter she would perch on those rather than a chair - but if there was a pillow, she would be perfectly content with that.

Considering the kid was sitting in nearly the exact same way Shuukaku did whenever she was perching somewhere - he had an idea why the kid was here.

“Shuu- _chan’s_ here, isn’t she?” he asked drily. The blonde eyed him warily, clutching the bowl of food in his hand closer to his body, and hunching slightly in a submissive posture. Shisui snorted and flapped a hand carelessly, “Relax, _gaki._ ” He twisted his chakra and then stretched it out like a spring, before pulling it back in sharply. There was no outward tell of the shift - and the only way anyone would have noticed the move was if they were a Hyuuga or overly chakra sensitive.

He set his pack on the floor next to one of the chairs and then sprawled out on said chair with a low groan. He closed his eyes and just breathed for a moment. “What’s your name, kid?” he asked after a minute, opening his eyes just a crack and choking back a snicker at the incredulous look on the eleven-year old’s face.

The blue eyes narrowed slightly, and he demanded in return, “What’s _your_ name, huh?”

Shisui did snicker at that - the kid was _definitely_ Shuukaku’s. He opened his eyes, letting them flare red for a second and answered teasingly, “Uchiha Shisui - and considering you’re in _my_ house, eating _my_ food, I do believe I deserve _your_ name.”

Slightly pudgy cheeks flushed a ruddy red, and the blonde coughed a little before mumbling, “Deidara, _un.”_

“Hmm? Nice to meet you then, Deidara- _chan,”_ the Uchiha replied easily, lips twisted in a teasing smirk. The blonde glowered at him, but didn’t actually refute the suffix, which made him rather curious (but he wasn’t going to ask in case it was an upsetting topic - it would _not_ be a good idea to upset Shuukaku - which was terrifying in and of itself - but he had the unfortunate pleasure of dating her twin sister - who would _also_ not be happy if he _did_ manage to upset the kid - so yeah - not asking).

“I don’t suppose you know why Shuu- _chan’s_ suddenly decided to visit, do you?” he asked idly, not really expecting an answer. He was actually kind of surprised Shuukaku had even left her kitten at _his_ place rather than her family compound or even Kei’s house. He wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not that she had.

He had been gone for a little over two weeks on a mission - _hopefully_ nothing bad had happened while he was away _(too many things had been going wrong whenever he went out on a mission - Nishiki’s death - Shuu-chan’s defection - whatever Hachi’s little project was - it never seemed to end anymore - but -)_.

He shook his thoughts away and focused on Deidara, who was frowning down at his bowl, chopsticks hovering. “ _Senpai_ was…,” he paused, lips twisting into a deeper scowl, before he continued cautiously. “She’s _terrified_ of something that happened here. I don’t know how she knew - but we were - she stopped and then we - well - she _rushed_ here, left me, and then went somewhere.”

Shisui straightened, expression falling into something worried. “She _knew_ something happened? How?” he asked, keeping his tone relatively mild.

The blue eyes turned on him with a narrowed look. “ _I don’t know, un._ _Senpai_ just froze mid-step and then we were racing for _here,”_ he growled irritably, forcing his chopsticks into the bowl and shoveling some of the rice and beef into his mouth.

_Froze?_

That only ever happened if -

“Shi- _chan,”_ a voice sang, and the Uchiha whipped around, face twisted into something worried and vaguely panicked. Shuukaku stood behind him, hair longer than he could ever remember it being, but still the far too familiar bright red. Her eyes were still that brown that were only mischievous if you looked on the surface - but they had a suspiciously golden sheen to them at that moment. She had even more ink painted on her body than she had the last time he had seen her four years ago - and three more blades on top of her usual partner, _Yasei no Soshaku._

“Shuu- _chan,”_ he returned, standing from his chair and stepping towards her. “What’s happened?” She peered at him for a moment and then stepped into his space and put her chin on his shoulder, cheeks brushing. There was a low rumble from her that he recognized as purring, but wasn’t sure if she was doing it because she was pleased to see him, or to comfort herself. He put his arms around her waist, brow furrowing and asked softly, “Shuu- _chan?”_

“Kei’s been poisoned,” she murmured in his ear, nuzzling at his throat and inhaling deeply. Her voice was distinctly growly - which wasn’t really a _good_ thing but also not necessarily _bad_ either. Her hands gripped his arms in a loose hold, and her purring lowered in intensity. “She was _fading_ when I got there,” she muttered, and he tensed.

She nosed at his jawline, and continued, “I told Shikaku- _san_ to get Asuka- _sama_ to her - so she’ll be fine now. Kei’s chakra dampened the potency of whatever poison was used - but it had been in her system for a week now.”

Shisui slowly relaxed, letting out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding. Then his brain caught up with what she said. “Wait, _a week?_ How come no one noticed she’d been poisoned?” he demanded, grip tightening around her waist for a second. She grumbled at him and pulled back, eyes completely golden, but only the iris. He frowned at her and she let out a low growl.

“Nobody aside from probably Hachi is even close to Tsunade- _hime’s_ level of skill with _Iryō Ninjutsu_ , Shi- _chan,”_ she pointed out with narrowed eyes.

“Well, _yes,_ but Kei can only be poisoned if it’s injected directly to her bloodstream or chakra system, and even that’s a fifty-fifty chance,” he retorted. “There would’ve been a mark from the injection - _someone_ should have noticed something like _that!”_

“That’s only if someone was looking for it, _un,”_ Deidara interjected absently. “Poison works best if injected through the carotid artery, ulnar artery, arcuate artery, or the femoral artery. Depending on the kind of bruising, most people will mistake the carotid and femoral artery injections as hickeys. The arcuate artery is hard to spot - the only way someone would have noticed without looking for signs of poisoning would’ve been if it had been through the ulnar artery.”

Shuukaku blinked at her kitten before pride bloomed on her face, “I knew those conversations with Haku- _chan_ were more than you said they were, Dei- _chan!”_ The blonde blinked at her, before red blossomed on his cheeks again and he hunched his shoulders and shoved a mouthful of food in his mouth.

“Kei would never let anyone near her neck,” Shisui muttered, frowning pensively. While Deidara made a good point - a week was still too long for someone to not check for poisoning. Tsunade- _sama_ had not left the hospital in a bad state, and with the village keeping Hachimitsu there more often than not - there was no way any of the nurses, doctors, or _Iryō-nin_ would let something like that slide.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Shuukaku nosing at his jawline again, and when he looked at her, she shook her head - apparently, it would be best if he didn’t look into it. He sighed and rested his cheek on the crown of her head, getting himself a disgruntled little ‘ _mrrp’_ sound from the woman.

“Is this gonna be a Yuma-thing again?” Deidara suddenly piped up, voice highly suspicious. The blonde was looking at the two with narrowed eyes and pursed lips, looking ready to bolt at any second if it did in fact turn into a “Yuma-thing.”

“Yuma-thing?” Shisui asked, sounding both confused and highly amused.

Shuukaku made a chuffing noise and replied with her own amusement, “Fuck buddy of mine.” Then, looking over the Uchiha’s shoulder at her kitten, answered, “No, kitten. Shi- _chan_ is my sister’s mate, not mine.”

Deidara eyed them for a moment longer, before shrugging and returning to the rest of his meal. “I’m not even going to ask,” Shisui said, laughter in his voice before he sobered and asked softly, “Why did you come _here?”_

Shuukaku buried her face in his neck again, hands slipping from his arms to squeeze around his waist. “I,” she started in a low murmur. “I can’t see my blood family - it’s not - you are - you’re safer. Part of the _dowt._ Kei was the problem, so I couldn’t leave my kitten there. _Sensei_ isn’t an available option, and Kiyoshi and Takeo’s apartments are empty - and - well.”

“Easier protection with someone there,” Shisui sighed. “How long are you planning to be here? It’s not exactly safe - no matter how good you are at sneaking around.”

The redhead let out another ‘ _mrrp’_ sound, grumbling a little before answering, “Hachi.” There was the sudden sound of thudding feet and a figure slid across the floor, stumbling slightly as they tried to stop. Their hands hit the wall and they clutched at it, eyes wide and slightly disbelieving. Shisui blinked, loosening his grip around Shuukaku’s waist, and the redhead’s head turned so fast her hair smacked the Uchiha in the face with the move.

“Shuu- _chan?”_ the figure breathed, sounding as if they couldn’t even begin to believe their eyes.

Completely ignoring the man’s sputtering, the redhead twisted out of his grip and faced the other woman, a low purr beginning to rise in her throat. “ _Hachi,”_ she rumbled, pleased. Ghost rose in the back with a low purr that vibrated through her mind and the redhead met her sister halfway.

Both of their grips were just shy of desperation and Shisui could tell that both would be touching for quite some time unless forced apart. Hachimitsu initiated the cheek rub, but both started purring in synch. Hachimitsu’s was more akin to a soft humming, while Shuukaku’s was deeper and rougher.

“Shuu- _chan,”_ Hachimitsu hummed, inhaling her sister’s scent and relishing in the freshness of it. She had only had her sister’s room and the items in it to even get a whiff of the scent that had been a part of her life since she was born. Except four years had gone by without Shuukaku’s presence and the smells had gone stale and cold, and Hachimitsu mourned the loss. “What are you doing here? Are you alright?” she demanded, nosing at the redhead’s neck and simply breathing. “And why did you come back when I was on a mission last time?”

Shuukaku huffed, nuzzling the brunette’s jaw line and vowing to steal one of her sister’s tops - Shisui’s too. “Didn’t know you were on a mission until I’d gotten here,” she answered, relaxing into the familiar chakra doing a medical scan. Yuma’s chakra was different, softer, and had taken a while to get used too - she was more familiar with the dense and heavy chakra of her twin’s, or the sharp and cold bite of Takeo’s. “And I’m fine,” she continued, slipping a finger against bare skin and letting ink crawl to life. “It’s Kei.”

Hachimitsu froze, and Panther surged, but they didn’t get far with the calm presence of Shuukaku and Ghost. Still, the brunette’s eyes flashed green-gold and her humming purr turned to a low growl. “What’s wrong with Kei? She’s not - she can’t - what -?” she demanded roughly.

Shuukaku’s purr rose in volume and if possible, she pressed even closer to her sister. “She was poisoned,” she explained gently, sliding her hands down from Hachimitsu’s shoulders to her elbows, grip firm. “I had Shikaku- _san_ get Asuka- _sama_ to take care of it.”

Shisui admired the even tone the redhead kept through Aburame Asuka’s name considering the poison expert was Kiyoshi’s mother. It couldn’t be easy for Shuukaku since the rumors painted _her_ as the one to have killed Kiyoshi. Deidara was looking rather wary at the two and like he wished Shuukaku was cuddling with him, rather than the other woman. Honestly, Shisui could understand the feeling sometimes, though with said other woman rather than Shuukaku.  

“I see,” Hachimitsu muttered, closing her eyes and Panther subsided with a barely there growl.

Shisui eyed Shuukaku and then added succinctly, “Kei’s been like that for a week, and nobody noticed she had been poisoned until Shuu- _chan_ showed up.”

Hachimitsu jerked and let out a string of curses, that Shisui noted Deidara didn’t even look fazed by (but considering he _was_ Shuu- _chan’s_ kitten, that really shouldn’t surprise him). Shuukaku raised an eyebrow and asked drily, “Hanging out with Kei lately?”

Her sister growled at her, before looking over at the Uchiha and saying, “I’ll look into it Shi- _chan.”_ Shuukaku snarled, but Hachimitsu snarled right back and snapped, “The hospital’s _my_ territory. Like _hell_ I’m going to leave Danzou’s people there!”

The redhead’s lips curled back even further, baring her teeth back at her sister, and hissed, “I don’t want you to end up like _me!”_

“What do you think I’ve been doing for the last four years, Shuukaku?” Hachimitsu challenged sharply, eyes narrowed. “Burying my head in the sand? You _know_ I wouldn’t let this lie, and _you_ are _not_ the only one that bastard is fucking over!”

“Oh, and you think _I don’t fucking know that?”_ Shuukaku retorted harshly, eyes flaring a bright gold and chakra rumbling unhappily. “ _I was lucky, Hachimitsu._ Kiyoshi and Takeo _were not - and I won’t have you meet the same end!”_

The brunette woman flinched back, an aborted whine building in her throat. “Uh, should I leave for this conversation and take the kitten with me?” Shisui broke in anxiously. He couldn’t remember a time where the twins had ever actually _fought_ before (at least seriously) and he had no desire to see what would happen.

“Kit- _ten?”_ Hachimitsu blurted in confusion, looking blindsided. The two woman pulled apart fully, though they caught each other’s fingers and laced them together, and the medic finally noticed Deidara. The blonde was still perched on the table, but his posture was defensive and blue eyes kept flickering over to Shuukaku for reassurance.

“This is Deidara- _chan_ , my kitten,” Shuukaku introduced fondly, tugging her sister over so she could run a calming hand through her kitten’s hair. “Kitten, this is Hachimitsu, my twin sister.”

It was like they hadn’t just been in the beginnings of a vicious argument, and Hachimitsu offered warmly, “You can call me Hachi- _nee-chan_ if you would like.”

“You don’t look like twins, _un,”_ Deidara pointed out, relaxing into Shuukaku’s touch.

“We’re fraternal, not identical, Dei- _chan,”_ the redhead explained, a low purr rumbling from her chest and letting her hand rest on the back of his neck.

“It’s just because I don’t have awesome red hair,” Hachimitsu pouted, glaring a little at said violently red hair. “Granted, it means it’s easier for me to be overlooked.”

Shuukaku couldn’t help pointing out, “I can still sneak into places you can’t.”

“And I can just walk into those places,” the medic countered.

“Not all of them.”

“Are they always like this?” Deidara asked Shisui, setting his finally empty bowl down.

Shuukaku snorted, and Shisui answered, “Arguing? No. They _normally_ get along.” He turned a mild looked at the two women in question and added, “And my question still stands.”

“No,” Hachimitsu answered after a moment, tugging at the end of her braid. “No, you can learn what my little project is all about. Danzou’s no longer looking at you about that so it’s _mostly_ safer.”

Shuukaku was staring at him with narrowed eyes, and he only returned it with his mild look. “Do you three even realize you learned a lot from Kosuke- _san?”_ she asked abruptly, before flapping her hands at his confused look and added, “Dei- _chan’s_ staying; I brought him here for a reason.”

“Alright then,” Shisui drawled out, eyeing the redhead. “Let me get some snacks then.”

Shuukaku unlaced her fingers from her sisters, leaving only their pinkies linked, and clambered onto the table next to her kitten. The table creaked a little, but held, like most shinobi furniture did. Hachimitsu rolled her eyes and took one of the chairs, sprawling out on it in one languid move. “So, what _have_ you been doing?” the redhead asked curiously, tugging Deidara over until he was curled into her side.

“Saving the lives of a bunch of suicidal ANBU,” the assassin huffed irritably.

“Don’t they have you working in the hospital?”

Hachimitsu scoffed and grumbled, “They went and made me head of the medical for ANBU. Probably because I wasn’t taking over the hospital like everyone thought I was going to do.”

“They still think you’re going too,” Shisui threw in drily, placing a platter of rice crackers on the table. Deidara immediately snatched one and took a bite, and Shuukaku took one for herself, making Shisui roll his eyes. “There’s a betting pool on just when you’re going to take the hospital over.”

Shuukaku snickered and asked, “What’s your bet?” Hachimitsu clicked her tongue, throwing an annoyed look at her boyfriend, and then her sister.

“Whenever Hachi- _chan_ decides she needs an independent nation,” Shisui answered easily with a shrug of his shoulders. Most of the other shinobi had scoffed at such a bet, but Shisui knew that at least Kakashi had placed the same bet.

The redhead let out a laugh, eyes sparkling and asked, “Along with the rest of the clan taking over their own divisions and claiming them their own nations?” She snagged another rice cracker from the platter, looking at Shisui with gold eyes.

To the Uchiha’s credit, he didn’t even flinch at the change, instead snickering, “That’s not in my part of the bet, but yes.”

“Is that even possible, _senpai?”_ Deidara asked curiously, snagging two more of the crackers for himself, and if Shisui had had any doubts about the blonde being Shuukaku’s kitten, his appetite alone would have convinced him.

Shuukaku hummed, curling her fingers in the blonde’s hair and replying, “With our clan, kitten, it’s _very_ possible.” Deidara looked rather pleased at the ‘our.’

“We have plans drawn and regularly updated,” Hachimitsu informed absently, finally grabbing her own cracker to snack on.

Shuukaku blinked, turning her gaze on her sister with a raised eyebrow, “Hoh?”

“Everyone was preparing to do just that after you were labelled _nuke-nin,”_ Hachimitsu confessed sheepishly. “I had to talk them down from actually going through.”

Sarutobi was the only Hokage to not realize the extent in which the Oden Clan had influence. Hashirama had made a calculated risk in inviting the clan to join the newly made Konohagakure - in hopes of cultivating a bond to the village and thus earning their unending loyalty. Even without the full _kekkei genkei_ of the Oden Clan, it was a feared one, often whispered about as a warning during the Warring Clan Era.

Tobirama had been enough of a forward thinker to know the extent of which the Oden Clan could, would, and had done if ever given enough warrant. He let the clan set its people wherever they wished, small enough to not be a major threat at that point in time - and with no provocation to even want to (being a lazy clan - much like the Nara). However, the marriage of an Oden woman and Uzumaki man had given life to the then dormant _kekkei genkei._

But the Nidaime died before anything ever bore fruit.

The Oden Clan grew and expanded even further, building and _re-building_ tight knit bonds with select clans, and with that growth came connections. It branched out during times of war and times of peace, and the extent of that reach never got noticed. There was never a need for the Sandaime to take note, and Minato only ever found out because of Kushina (though, if he had been given enough time he might’ve figure it out himself).

The Odens had a bond with the Suzuki Clan that dates back to the Warring Clan Era, and while small, the Suzukis were famous for their immunity to poisons through their chakra and producing sensors on par with the Nidaime. The rejected Uzumaki name had gotten the Hatake (though now there was only one), and even the Senju (now only a select handful). Marriage got the clan’s claws in the Fire Capitol and a Noble Lord’s Family, as well as wealthy Merchants.

Positions of power throughout the hierarchy of the village saw to the village itself, and honestly, you couldn’t go anywhere without some kind of connection tracing back to the Oden Clan.

Just the recent generations had key positions through the village. Hachimitsu was the ANBU medic and technically in charge of the main hospital; if things had been different, Shuukaku would have been in charge of the entire Torture and Interrogation division. The twin’s younger brother, Hikaru (or Karu), and a cousin (Yoshito) worked both Intelligence and Codes, while another cousin (Hiromaru) worked Codes and Logistics (with yet another cousin, Mamoru). Masuyo, the twin’s mother, was the Head of the Mission Desk, and a cousin (Katashi) worked both Mission Records (with another cousin, Hiro) and Desk, and another cousin (Hikaru - or Hika) worked at the Academy and the Mission Desk.

An aunt from their father’s side (Kiyomi) worked in Village Finances, while a different aunt, from their mother’s side (Aiko - or Ai) and her son (Toshio), worked in Research and Development, which their grandfather (Hikaru) had retired from and now worked in the Village Archives. There were two cousins (Yuuki and Kimiko) and three uncles (Takehiko, Haruo, and Hisashi) that all worked in some form in ANBU (though technically Hisashi was ‘retired’). Their aunt (Atsuko) worked basically hand in hand with the Inuzuka in dealing with _ninken,_ something their other younger brother (Atsumaru) wanted to go into once he graduated from the academy in a year, and their grandmother (Aiko) worked with the Messenger Hawks still.

Another cousin worked the borders (Masanori), another was a scout (Daisuke), and an uncle did a series of long term missions (Hironori). There were two Ambassadors, an aunt (Ren), who was the Capitol Ambassador, and her daughter (Kaneko), who was a standard Ambassador. Their uncles (Tamotsu and Takayuki) were high ranking samurai in the Capitol, as well as Tamotsu’s son (Ryuu), while his daughter (Masumi) was the one who married into a Noble Lord’s family. Even though Kei had basically taken over Clan Heir early education, another of the twin’s aunts (Kiyoko), was a go to babysitter for the Clan, as well as both civilian and shinobi families alike (she was also in Intelligence).

Kei’s mother (Emiko) was the niece of the head of the Kurama Clan, and one of the many Oden Clan cousins had married into the clan as well. Kei’s father (Kenta) was the eldest son of the Suzuki Clan Head, and Kei’s younger brother (Hiroki) was determined to get into Police Force (even if it was currently only Uchiha). The Suzuki Clan had been a smaller clan that had taken protection under the Oden Clan during the Warring Clans Era. The clan had taken a vassal like role to the Odens, and it was a bond still valid and valued in the current era, though the role had changed.

Kiyoi was a middle child of the Mori Clan Head, a minor clan that was actually a split branch of the Oden Clan. The Mori Clan had once been a part of the Oden Clan back in the early Warring Clan Era, but had broken off when the majority of the Clan had left for different lands after the Gift of Nibi changed the Clan techniques. There had been no hard feelings, simply a difference in familial techniques and a splitting of ways. The creation of Konohagakure had rekindled those ties again, however.

Put all of that together, some other far reaching branches, and then add a cat’s natural instincts and it was the recipe for a hostile takeover if so inclined.

“We’ll even have the Uchiha as backup for taking over the village,” Hachimitsu added ruefully, and Shuukaku chuffed. Danzou really had no idea what he had the potential of stepping into, and now that she was thinking about just how broad the Oden Clan’s reach actually extended - well, she might just have to bring it up with her twin later.

“I assume they’re the ones being fucked over by Danzou,” the redhead grunted, eyes flickering over to Shisui and looking him over (as if she might have missed some unseen issue earlier).

Hachimitsu hissed softly and then explained rather sharply, “ _Yes,_ so I was on Danzou’s radar even before you stumbled on whatever it was you stumbled on. If I _had_ stopped looking into him, it would’ve put me in even more danger than if I _kept_ looking. I _do_ know what I’m doing, Shuu- _chan.”_

Shuukaku snarled, snapping her teeth and growling, “That may be so, but it’s not your _specialty!”_ She then shook her head sharply, lips turned down in a furious frown, and barked, “Forget it.”

Shisui interrupted before the two could fall into another disagreement (especially since Hachimitsu was actually opening her mouth to no doubt retort), “So, Danzou’s the one behind everything?” He finished the rice cracker in his hand and mused thoughtfully, “That might explain why he’s been sniffing around me and Itachi.”

That got both kunoichi’s attention immediately, faces twisted in snarls. Shuukaku’s eyes were beginning to bleed gold into the sclera, while Hachimitsu’s just began shifting rapidly. “ _What?”_ the medic growled harshly, gold-green eyes boring into her _mate._

“I’ve been putting him off and Itachi’s been following my lead on it,” the Uchiha offered, raising his hands placatingly. Deidara shifted closer to Shuukaku, eyes narrowed in an unreadable look. “Though I just thought that rumor of him having a harem of teenage boys he does wicked things to was true and he was trying to lure me and Itachi into it,” he added, tone mild.

Hachimitsu stared and then asked incredulously, “Where do you _hear_ these things?”

“Oh, you’ve heard those rumors too?” Shuukaku asked, blinking and the gold receding back to the iris only. Hachimitsu turned her look at her sister, only to find Deidara looking curiously intrigued too. Shuukaku smirked at her twin and said, “People will say anything when they think no one is listening.” Hachimitsu gave her a deadpanned look, which only made the redhead wiggle her eyebrows.

Deidara snorted and then asked, “Didn’t we come here for a reason or something, _senpai, un?”_

The redhead blinked, smirk fading into an ‘o’ look. “Ah, right,” she muttered, focusing on her twin who

blinked back at her. “You remember Kushina- _ba-chan_ ’s father?”

Hachimitsu furrowed her brow, giving her sister an odd look as she answered uncertainly, “Uhm, I think _Kaa-sensei_ mentioned that he had disappeared or something like that?” She turned to her teammate and asked, “Do you remember anything, Shi- _chan?”_

The Uchiha shrugged, noting that Shuukaku didn’t look all that surprised over their lack of knowledge, “He disappeared right after she got here, didn’t he? At least, I think that’s what she said.” He smiled ruefully and added, “She always got sad when talking about her family - and Kushina- _sensei_ being sad was just wrong.”

Hachimitsu nodded, expression turning downtrodden, “True.” She then looked over at her sister and asked, “Why do you ask?” It was a rather odd question considering everything else they had been previously talking about.

The redhead shrugged easily and answered flippantly, “Turns out he’s alive with amnesia. He’s been wandering all over the entirety of the Elemental Nation for the past twenty-three or so years.” She looked pensive at their raised eyebrows and continued, “I’m trying to track him down - if the memory loss is wound based I’m throwing him at Tsunade- _hime.”_

“For the best if that _is_ the reason for his memory loss,” Hachimitsu said somewhat drily, wondering how the hell her twin always managed to get into situations like this. “Though if he really has lost his memory with no recall for that long, then the chances of him remembering anything is like zero, Shuu- _chan,”_ she added warningly.

Shuukaku leaned forward, face screwed up in a pout and retorted, “Except he’s a pureblood Uzumaki!” At her sister’s look, she looked sheepish and added, “I also have a different kind of help for his memory. It’s worth a try in any case - think of what could happen if he _does_ remember!” She waved the arm previously around Deidara’s shoulders, an excited look on her face, “Naruto- _chibi_ would have a chance at a stable family instead of the loopholes Kei managed to do!”

Hachimitsu let out an aborted whine, her expression turning a little cautiously hopeful. “If that does happen, then the Hokage couldn’t tell Shi- _chan_ and me to stay away from him,” she added, looking over at her teammate, who was looking a little lost, but also with a cautious hope.

“Exactly!” Shuukaku exclaimed, waving her arm a little. “Naruto has a right to his heritage - to a _family!_ And even if _jiji_ rejected the Uzumaki name, the _chibi_ is still a part of the Can and to keep him from that is a _crime,_ Hachi! We - _he_ missed so much of his birthright it’s not _fair._ Uzushio - it was - it - _kami-sama…,_ ” Shuukaku whined, expression turning lost and frustrated. “...there was nothing but ruins and _bones.”_

“The village system may have let the Clans grow and flourish, but I’ve noticed that it also seems to stifle Clan Heritage as well,” Hachimitsu purred, leaning forward to rest against her sister’s thigh. Her face turned pensive as she continued, “Uzumaki is just one such Clan, I think - because it’s _gone._ We’re proof it’s still around, though, even if I claim another Clan.”

Shuukaku hummed and then said, “That’s just it - we _aren’t_ the only Uzumaki. There’s two of us in Kusagakure, Haruki- _jiji_ is somewhere, and there’s _someone_ in Amegakure. I keep finding remnants of Uzumaki _everywhere._ There’s even blood in Sunagakure for _kami-sama’s_ sake! Hell, there’s fucking _relics_ spread out over the whole damn nation!”

“Sounds like the Uzumaki got around,” Shisui huffed in disbelieving humor. “In more ways than one.”

Shuukaku looked at him and then said flatly, “You have _no fucking idea._ There’s a fucking shinobi village fuck knows where in the outskirts that had an Uzumaki relic and a legend about their founder being _lovers_ with said Uzumaki - like _really?”_

Hachimitsu and Shisui paused looking at her in shock, before the kunoichi blurted, “What village? Outskirts where?”

The redhead chuffed and answered, “You know, the outskirts? Everything’s dead but there’s rumors of a nomadic people somewhere out there? The village is called Gakegakure, at any rate, and lemme tell yah the Oden Clan would fit right in.”

“Well, _yeah,_ if their founder was lovers with an Uzumaki,” Hachimitsu rolled her eyes. “But the outskirts to the west, huh? Interesting.”

And it really was. The Outskirts were a dead land - and no shinobi village wanted to explore it for any reason. None of the villages were big on history and ruins - even if there were records kept of history. No one went out of their way to find anything about the times before the Warring Clans Era - so no exploration really happened of any kind.

“It was - they had fried tarantula. It was surprisingly good,” Shuukaku mused thoughtfully, and Deidara’s face twisted into disgust.

Hachimitsu blinked, “Fried tarantula? Like whole tarantula, or the legs?”

“The whole spider - legs were the best part though,” Shuukaku explained with a grin. “They were crunchy.”

“Hmm, that sounds good,” Hachimitsu purred, throwing a glance over at Shisui.

“No,” the Uchiha said immediately, looking exasperated. “We are not going to make up a mission to go to this village _just_ because you want to eat a _spider.”_

“But-!”

“ _No.”_

The assassin pouted and huffed, “Fine! I’ll just see if Kakashi- _senpai-nii-san_ wants to go.”

Shuukaku laughed, untangling their pinkies and instead settling her hand in her sister’s hair. “I don’t think you’d be able to find it anyway, Hachi,” she started apologetically. “I found it out of sheer dumb luck and because of the relic they had. It was a very annoyed sword that did _not_ like the fact it was surrounded by non-Uzumaki. _Muramasa_ is with me now, so.”

“Ruin my fun,” Hachimitsu pouted, and then poked the sword in question with narrowed eyes. “So, it was calling to you or something? Seems like it would have fun with me - though I would rather tear someone apart than chop them up.”

Shuukaku hummed, casting a look at the sword that thrummed against her lower back and whispered in the back of her mind. “Yes - he wanted to wielded again, I think - but he’s not an assassin’s blade, Hachi. Hideaki- _sama_ was no assassin, and his blade was forged for battle alone.”

The kunoichi peered at the blade closer and then hummed, “Huh, I see that now. Bit bloodthirsty, isn’t he?” The sword pulsed sharply, and the woman laughed, pulling her hand away, and turning her gaze to her sister instead. “So besides finding random villages, searching for long lost Uzumaki, and becoming the most wanted person in the nation, what have you been up too?”

“Well,” Shuukaku started, drawing the word out playfully. “I met _jiji’s_ jonin _sensei_ and teammates, and Kushina- _ba-chan’s_ mom, and the Yondaime Uzukage.” She laughed at the baffled look on Shisui’s face, and the incredulous one of her kitten’s.

“Aren’t they all, you know, _dead?”_ Shisui asked in confusion.

“ _Ghosts?”_ Hachimitsu asked, perking up and beaming at her twin. “ _Functioning_ ghosts?”

Shuukaku grinned widely, “Fucking _yes.”_ She then paused, and continued more solemnly, “Well, only the five of them. The rest of Uzushio wasn’t really functioning - it was - none of them had been _buried,_ Hachi. I wasn’t kidding when I said it was nothing but ruins and _bones.”_ She shuddered and muttered, a faraway look in her eyes, “There was so much grief and _rage.”_

Hachimitsu winced and sighed, “That would leave ghosts.” Seeing ghosts was an unspoken talent of the Oden Clan - stemming from before even the Gift of Nibi, so the Mori Clan could see the shades as well. Shuukaku had always been the more sensitive of the two between them - more able to feel and see the emotions etched into the shades and the places they haunted.  It had often been cause for some of the childhood nightmares the redhead had suffered. “I’ll remember to ask _jiji_ if he knows why Konoha didn’t go and at least bury the dead after the fall. It seems _strange_ that we didn’t.”

Shuukaku snorted roughly and sneered, “It’s _strange_ that Kirigakure and Kumogakure managed to get past Uzushio’s barriers in the fucking first place.” She shook her head sharply and softened the bite in her tone, “I noticed when I was doing the burial that the barrier lines surrounding the islands had been skewed somehow, but Kaito- _sama_ would not speak to me about it, and Sansai was in the thick of the massacre. Akira and Izumi had already died. I...was in no state to really investigate further, even after everything.”

“That’s,” Hachimitsu started, but then stopped, shaking her head with a sad look. “Do we want to even look into this? We both have a lot on our plates already. I’m sure you’ve been looking at Danzou from outside the village - and as sad as it is, Uzushio is _gone._ Any restoration of the Uzumaki Clan will end up in Konoha, not restarting Uzushio.”

Shuukaku ran a tired hand over her face and then her hair. “No, I know,” she replied tiredly. “I have Uzushio’s history and hid everything important anyway - nobody without Uzumaki blood can get there anymore. You’re right though, I _have_ been investigating Danzou from the outside. Keiko- _baa-chan_ gave me a seal that lets me eavesdrop wherever I put my seal, and it gives me a lot of information.”

“Is that how you managed to blackmail every single village?” Deidara asked, eyeing the last rice cracker on the platter and clearly debating if it was alright to actually take it.

“Ah, yes,” the redhead answered, while Shisui rolled his eyes and pushed the platter over to the preteen. “It’s not how I found the traitor though.”

“I heard about that,” Hachimitsu purred amusedly, eyes half lidded. “Ibiki’s been throwing a fit about you doing his job for him.”

“Not my fault he can’t do it,” Shuukaku huffed, only half bitterly. Then asked rather randomly in Shisui’s opinion, “Have you talked to Senka at all?”

Hachimitsu blinked, and then asked, “Not really? Should I be? Been rather busy and it seemed better at the time to keep a bit of distance from your friends.”

Shuukaku grunted, and growled half-heartedly, “They’re your friends too, Hachi - but I understand. You probably should be, but maybe not, I don’t know. Senka’s ROOT.” The blonde woman had actually been able to help Inoichi ferret out the other half of the traitor Shuukaku had found - without any undue attention being traced back _to_ Inoichi or her. Senka had yet to tell any of the other’s she was ROOT - and Shuukaku knew it was for the best as much as she wished it wasn’t.

“Wait, _Senka’s_ part of Danzou’s _harem?”_ Shisui asked, completely bewildered. “I thought it was all boys.”

“Maybe in your dreams,” Shuukaku retorted as her twin reached over and smacked the Uchiha.

“As amusing as it is to think of Danzou’s ANBU group as his _harem,”_ Hachimitsu huffed, rolling her eyes, but there was a smile tugging at her lips.

“Ew, mental images. He’s so _old_ , Hachi,” Shuukaku whined.

“ _You’re_ the one who brought it up,” Hachimitsu pointed out drily. “Besides, he’s probably too old to get it up anymore anyway so whatever. Back to the point, Senka’s ROOT? Is she loyal to Danzou or us?”

Shuukaku looked at her for a moment, any trace of amusement gone, and then said, “Would she be _alive_ if she was loyal to Danzou? That son of a bitch _murdered my teammates and lovers.”_

“Point,” Hachimitsu winced. “What I’m getting at is how much _control_ does Danzou have over her? How much can we _trust_ her? How much loyalty does she _have_ to give Danzou?”

“None,” Shuukaku answered mildly, a warning note in her tone and glint in her eyes. “His conditioning skills suck. She was ROOT before the academy, Hachi. You remember how she was - but emotions are fickle things. Danzou can’t seem to comprehend that long-term exposure without re-conditioning does nothing good from him. The only reason Senka can’t actually _do_ anything is because she has a seal on her tongue.”

“Tongue?” Hachimitsu asked incredulously. “He put a seal on her _tongue?_ A controlling seal of some sort, _right?”_

“No, actually,” Shuukaku shrugged. “It prevents the sealed person from revealing information about Danzou or ROOT. Why he thought sticking a seal on an easily removable organ I have no fucking clue but what can you do.”

The assassin stared at her with an affronted look on her face before bursting out, “How is that man still _alive?_ Why does he have so much _power?_ He seriously puts secrets prevention seals on tongues and thinks he’s safe?” She waved an arm around as if to emphasize her point and continued, “The tongue is like the _easiest_ thing to reattach to a body! I didn’t even need to _study_ anything to learn how to do that! It’s like - I don’t know! Something really, really fucking _stupid.”_

“I know, right? The things really shoddy work too,” Shuukaku bemoaned. “But that’s not really why I brought Senka up. She has a sealed tongue - the traitor I found? He didn’t. The fucking bastard truly believed what Danzou was spouting. He _actually thought_ war would paved the way for Konoha to be ‘great’ - which really? _Please,_ we already _are_ great - but Danzou has _believers_ , Hachi.”

The brunette stared and then growled quietly, “That’s a really scary thought - and completely throws out an idea I had. It’s hard enough trying to track Danzou’s people - it’s like having to work your way backwards through a _puzzle.”_

“...I hate puzzles when it’s not the human mind,” Shuukaku muttered. “But with the whole fanatics’ thing it means we can’t just take Danzou out - there’s an entire force we have to as well. I think Senka might be able to help with that.”

“She would be an insider,” Hachimitsu mused, before pinning Shisui with a gimlet stare and continuing sharply, “And _no_ , Shisui, you _are not_ going to volunteer yourself to become a double agent as well - _neither_ is Itachi- _koneko.”_

“I could pretend to be fanatic!” Shisui protested, looking affronted. “That way I don’t get branded - and it could lead to other people Senka might not be able to find!”

“Rejected,” Shuukaku said flatly, giving him a narrowed eyed glare.

“Why don’t you just take over the village like your Clan can to get rid of them that way, _un?”_ Deidara interrupted before Shisui could come up with a retort. All three of the older shinobi blinked at him, startled.

“ _Hoh,_ that’s right,” Shuukaku purred after a beat, looking down at her kitten with a pleased look. “Hachi - we’d have to get some things into place first, but it could totally work, right?”

The kunoichi shook her head with a grimace, “No, we don’t have anyone to be Hokage - not to mention it’s not just _us_ versus _Danzou_. We have a third side - _Sarutobi’s_ side.”

Shuukaku stared and then just blurted, “Fuck it. I’m finding Tsunade- _hime_ and forcing her to become Godaime.” She would too. Even if they didn’t actually take over the village. Sarutobi was obviously getting too old to be in the Hokage’s chair when he just let a loyal shinobi get branded a traitor - even when some of his top shinobi protested and petitioned against it.

Her sister opened her mouth to respond, and then shut it looking surprised. “That - that could work, if you can convince her,” she said, blinking. “That would get rid of Sarutobi’s side and it would become ours instead - because I think Kakashi- _senpai-nii-san_ would be next in line after her - or Jiraiya - but I’m not sure I would trust him with the running of the whole village.”

“Fuck no. That man is better off running his little spy ring,” Shuukaku scoffed harshly, eyes narrowed and glowing with an inner fury. “ _Inu-chan_ isn’t mentally prepared to take over the village, period. Tsunade is a Senju, and I can totally con her into running the village. I’d have to settle things outside the village first though - there’s something I want to look into before we actually take over the village. What of the Uchiha? Or the other Clans? Is there any way we could get them in on this? Hizashi?”

Hachimitsu didn’t mention the anger directed at Jiraiya - knowing her twin had her reasons, and instead answered, “Like I said earlier, the Uchiha would back us. I would be surprised if they weren’t already planning a rebellion of some sort. Danzou is screwing them over big time and pinning it on the village as a whole instead of him - and I think the Hyuuga would jump on board with Hizashi - though, _you_ might want to be the one to approach them.”

“Eh? Why me?”

“Because you’re the one who rescued him?”

“Only because he happened to be under a life suspension seal! I was just hoping I wasn’t actually starting the war I was accused to be!!” Shuukaku cried out, throwing her arms up into the air in exasperation. She didn’t really like Hyuuga anyway - but they were a part of the _home_ so _of course_ she helped! “The Hyuuga are more a Kei thing, okay?”

“I still don’t know if Kenshin is on speaking terms with her or not,” Hachimitsu scowled darkly before adding, “Besides, Hizashi- _san_ hasn’t been quiet about _who_ it was that rescued him. The Hyuuga are now wondering just _who_ it was that betrayed them - and would _very much_ like to get _rid_ of them.”

Shuukaku paused. “I…,” she started, brow furrowing. “I didn’t think he actually _would_ do something. I suppose I’ll talk to them then, if only so I can punch Kenshin in the face.”

“I can even claim it was for medical purposes,” Hachimitsu grinned.

Shisui groaned and started, “Just because you _maul_ your patients when they don’t listen to you -!”

“Hey!” she retorted. “If they think they’re _fine_ , then they’re up to a little _sparring_ with me!”

Deidara snickered and Shuukaku barked out a laugh. “So, I’m talking to the Hyuuga,” Shuukaku hummed with a slight grimace. “Not about everything - but I can pay Hizashi a visit before we leave and hint that some things are about to happen?”

“That works - I can talk to Kei and she can get the Ino-Shika-Chou on board, when she gets better?” Hachimitsu offered, not knowing if her twin would want to talk to her _sensei_ herself or not. She wasn’t actually sure if Shuukaku had even visited Inoichi since this whole thing began. She knew they had at least been in contact _somehow_ \- but not if it was in person.

Shuukaku paused and then shook her head, “No, I - I want to talk to _sensei_. Have Kei talk to Shikaku- _san_ , and then Kiyoi so she can talk to Shibi- _sama_. I’ll start spreading word to the family outside Konoha to start making preparations for a takeover.”

“Alright,” the brunette agreed easily, giving a short purr to comfort her twin. “I’ll work with the family here and make sure they don’t jump the kunai on this. They want you _home,_ Shuu- _chan._ You’ve already missed one birth - and I think another is going to happen soon. Mamoru- _kun_ is being rather tight lipped about it - and who is girlfriend is,” she informed gently.

Shuukaku whined in the back of her throat, and Deidara instinctively curled into her side further, hand reaching out and clutching at her obi. “Who?”

“Reiko- _baa-chan._ A little girl last year - her name is Kohaku,” Hachimitsu answered with a low purr.

Shuukaku whined again, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “I can’t,” she started, then stopped, shaking her head, and then continued, “Shi- _chan_ , talk to Kosuke- _san_.”

“Sure?” Shisui answered bemusedly. “But what about Fugaku- _ji-san?”_

The redhead looked at him with a raised eyebrow, “Fugaku- _san_ isn’t exactly the most...political person. Mikoto- _san_ ’s better at them. Besides, Kosuke- _san_ is Kagami- _sama_ ’s nephew. He has access to the Uchiha that aren’t exactly happy with the rumors trying to create a rift, but can’t do anything about it.”

“True,” Shisui hummed.

“Fugaku- _san_ had his plate full anyway,” Hachimitsu added, flapping a hand. “He really should have just made Mikoto- _san_ Clan Head, and just focused on the Police Force. He’s doing _alright_ with both but - there’s a reason Danzou’s been able to get as far as he has.”

Shuukaku groaned and muttered, “Why couldn’t Shouhei- _chan_ be an Uchiha? He’s got a silver tongue that could convince the gods the sky was green. And what do mean by Danzou being able to get as far as he has? What’s he doing to the Uchiha?”

“Stealing eyes is the biggest thing,” the assassin answered flippantly. “And _other_ body parts.”

“Oh,” Shuukaku blinked, looking like she had just realized something important. “That - that makes some things make a little more sense,” she mumbled, brow furrowing.

“Does it?” Hachimitsu asked before continuing with a shake of her head. “I’m also pretty positive he’s behind the budget cuts for the Police Force - and the source of all the rumors painting the Uchiha in a bad light.” She pouted and added, “Problem is that most Uchiha aren’t like my lovely Shi- _chan_ here, and it kind of just makes the rumors true - but they’re not?”

“I have to dig a little before I can tell you what I mean, but no, he’s totally behind the budget cuts and rumors,” Shuukaku grunted, flapping a hand idly. “I haven’t had a chance to combat the rumors yet, and if you talk to Kiyomi- _ba-chan_ she might be able to do something about the cuts. She’s in finances and I’ll bet you she has records.”

“She does, I’ve been stealing them - and giving them back!” Hachimitsu added hastily at Shuukaku’s look. “I suppose since we _are_ going to take over the village, I’ll be informing the Clan more about what’s going on rather than keeping them in the dark.”

Shuukaku gave her a dry look and said, “Hachi, do you _really_ think they _don’t_ know what’s going on? Sure, they don’t know all of it, but _really_?”

“That’s not what I mean,” Hachimitsu huffed, pouting at her. “They don’t know about Danzou or his ROOT. I will give Danzou this, he is good at keeping secrets when you don’t know where to look - but once you _do?_ \- and the clan hasn’t known where to look.”

“Hmm, but we’ll just have to do it better,” Shuukaku purred. “You don’t mess with _bijuu_ , even the kittens of one.”

“Yes,” Hachimitsu purred back. “And you know what, it’s been long enough that Danzou’s probably forgotten that we still _remember_ and will hold him for his slight against us.”

“So, world domination or just Fire Country?” Shisui asked blandly, making Deidara snort and hide his face in Shuukaku’s side.

“Fire Country - world domination would be too troublesome,” Hachimitsu waved off.

“I don’t know I think I’ve got a pretty good start, honestly,” Shuukaku mused.

“Shuu-chan, _no._ ”

 

**|**

 

**_Year 107 - November 3 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

**“So,** I’m going to punch your brother-in-law in the face.”

Hizashi startled, turning towards the source and then stared. Shuukaku was sprawled out on his window sill, examining her claw tipped nails casually, and looking as if she wasn’t sitting in the middle of a shinobi village that wanted her captured. “How did you - nevermind,” he started, before sighing. “I remember Kenshin complaining often enough about you popping out of nowhere.”

She gave him a sharp grin, sliding off the sill in a liquid smooth move and stepping towards him. “I’ve heard that you’ve been rather vocal about my involvement with your rescue,” she purred, eyes flashing gold and glowing in the darkness of the early morning.

He eyed her silently and responded, “You saved my life and returned me to my family and home - it would prove ungrateful to not acknowledge your role in that.”

“Even though it could prove to have put that family in danger?” she queried idly, face a picture of lazy curiosity as she circled him with a predator’s gait.

“It is foolish to believe my family is never in danger, we are shinobi,” he responded mildly, lips frozen in a cold smile. He wasn’t quite sure where the redhead was going with whatever conversation was happening. He could read nothing from her face, or her eyes - and it was a blatant reminder that her _sensei_ had been Yamanaka Inoichi.

She peered up at him, but it was not in any way submissive, and her lips curled into a truly terrifying smile. “Would you protect your clan, your family, no matter the cost - or the enemy?” she questioned, and there was something he wasn’t seeing here - something that was missing and he couldn’t quite grasp.  

But the answer was easy - simple.

“Yes.”

And she laughed.

 

**|**

 

**Inoichi** jolted awake, senbon fanned out in his hand and jerking forward to the presence in his room. He froze instantly as he recognized the chakra, and his eyes focused sharply. Shuukaku was perched on the ground at the foot of his bed, shrouded in the shadows and gold eyes gleaming out of the darkness. Her red hair was long, longer than his student had ever had it before, and there was a scar on her face now - two jagged lines that sliced through the middle and made her look dangerous.

Spiraling lines of ink covered her arms and up over her shoulders, and even started snaking over her collarbone and up her neck. Her chakra had shifted, gaining a sharper edge and a more intensely feral bite. Her entire bearing had shifted into a more wild and animalistic one, no longer hiding under mischief and easy energy. He swallowed harshly, eyes burning. It had been _so long_ since he had felt her chakra it loosened a tightness in his own chakra he hadn’t fully realized was there.

“Shuukaku,” he breathed, so quietly he wasn’t even sure if he had actually managed to speak it out loud or just in his head. She shifted, slinking forward slightly with a wariness that made his heart twist. “Shuukaku,” he repeated, stronger. His senbon vanished and he held his arms out, welcoming her _home._ It didn’t matter that she was marked a traitor - she was his student, his daughter in everything but name. He would lie to anyone who asked if he had seen her - even his Hokage. ( _but was he really_ his _anymore when he condemned his student - students?)_

Gold eyes burned into blue before in a flurry of red his student was in his arms and lap, face buried in his neck. Shuukaku inhaled deeply, breath hitching at the familiar scent of fire and spice with the undertone of stale blood. There were other scents attached - the faint leafy scent of Inoichi’s wife, Sayuri, and the developing floral scent she knew was Ino- _chan’s_ , and it made her eyes burn.

“ _Sensei,”_ she whined, low in her throat, fingers digging in his back. He shushed her softly, fingers tangling in her hair and the other wrapped around her waist tightly. It was an all too familiar position - one their team had taken many times when comfort was needed - except this time it was missing two bodies and it _hurt._

She let out a watery purr in an effort to comfort herself, lips shifting over the skin of his neck and marking it as much as reaffirming its presence. “I’m _sorry_ \- so, so, so, _sorry! Sensei,_ I-!” she wailed into his neck, nails piercing cloth and skin in an effort of control.

“Hush,” he murmured. “I _know._ They know.” Her breath hitched, purr stuttering, and he turned his head a little to place a tender kiss on her head. It was her undoing. She let out a broken wail, hot tears streaming down her face as it suddenly became _real._

Kiyoshi and Takeo were _gone_ and they could _never come back._

The connection she had with them was dulled and a mere echo of what it was when they had been alive and it _ached_ \- it twisted and burned and _hurt_ \- and there was no way to fix it - was never going to be fixed. Her thread with Inoichi _burned_ and she clung to it even tighter. _She would not let his break - not until she was good and ready for it._ “You’re not allowed to die, _sensei_ ,” she growled, voice thick and snot dripping from her nose (which she promptly smeared all over the shoulder of his sleepwear). “Not yet - and not anytime _soon.”_

His fingers rested on the back of her neck and he pressed her more firmly against him, ignoring the silent tears on his own cheeks. “You aren’t allowed either, Shuukaku,” he returned firmly, eyes narrowed and grip tight. “I’m not going to lose you too.”

Her purr rumbled through her chest, and she rubbed her cheek against the underside of his jaw, nosing it wetly. Her heart eased and the turmoil in her chakra settled - she had her pack - her family - it was broken and no longer whole - but _it was still there._

“We’re taking the village,” she murmured. “And he’s going to _burn.”_

His grip tightened further if possible, and he inhaled deeply - controlled. He had wondered why the Oden Clan hadn’t taken the village yet - but if they were doing it now - something had changed. Now, it was just a matter of doing what needed to be done to make sure it happened. “What do you need?” he asked after a moment - firm and unwavering - trusting his student _(his daughter)._

Shuukaku purred, pleased.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 107 - November 18 - Isen Village - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

**Deidara** watched from his perch on top of one of the shelves as Shuukaku dug around the village archives. They had come to the decently sized village after leaving Konohagakure, taking a roundabout way towards the Fire Capitol where they would apparently be speaking to some of the redhead’s relatives about the overtaking of Konohagakure. Isen was an old village, dating back into the Warring Clans Era and had loose ties with the Senju Clan.

Shuukaku had professed an interest in looking at the records to see what she could find, and Deidara had shrugged. The kunoichi had yet to let him help with her digging, but he didn’t really care as he was more interested in blowing things up than blackmailing people. She had started teaching him seals and refining his use of the clay he had stolen from Iwagakure before he had left (she hadn’t even batted an eyelash over the mouths on his palms and chest).

“Ne, _senpai,”_ he started, swinging his legs childishly from his perch. She hummed back in response, showing she was listening, so he continued. “What is it that you need to look into before we start taking things over, _un?”_ It had been bothering him ever since she had said it - it wasn’t just the relative that Shuukaku had been searching for even before she had picked him up - and it obviously wasn’t whatever blackmail she wanted.

She paused in her rifling, brown eyes looking over her shoulder up at him, before she answered, “An organization comprised of _nuke-nin.”_ She flicked her fingers and the last of the paperwork was copied and sealed somewhere in the scrawls all over her body. With predator grace, she stood, and motioned for him to get down. “I ran into them while I was in Amegakure, and had a fight with one of the members a few months before I picked you up.”

She narrowed her eyes as they slipped out of the building and up onto the roof, perching there in the shadows for a moment before she continued, “They’re a relatively young group in terms of the _nuke-nin_ bit, but the group as a whole has been around since the end of the Second War and through the Third War.” They slunk down into the alley and then towards the exit of the village, where they would then head towards the next village over.

“It has piqued my curiosity and concern,” she murmured, eyes gleaming in the dark as she eyed their surroundings.

Deidara glanced at her briefly, and asked somewhat incredulously, “ _Nuke-nin?_ Really? How does that even work? The power dynamics alone would…” He trailed off when she flicked her hand at him, lips turned down in a frown. He shifted closer to her, turning his senses out into the surroundings to see if he could catch whatever had caught her attention.

The night was quiet, a low breeze whistling through the leaves and bringing a winter chill towards the inward lands. There was the crunch of leaves under foot and a large form meandered out of the foliage, gait easy. “You’re a hard woman to find, _Uzumaki no Yūrei,”_ a deep voice called out, tone jovial.

Deidara tensed, shifting back so he was half behind Shuukaku, who had straightened and was eyeing the man with gold eyes. “I like it that way, _Sannin,_ ” she returned with a dangerous purr, hand drifting towards the blade on her lower back rather than the ones crossed or the one sealed in the palm of her hand. Deidara coiled his chakra tight within him, making it blend in more with the surroundings.

Shuukaku only ever reached for the cursed blade when the enemy was stronger than the average shinobi. It had happened only once before, after they had done that joint job with Haku and Zabuza. Deidara could remember with startling clarity the bloodlust of the blade and its demonic call as it had sliced through the air. The end result had not been pretty - but it had cemented his loyalty to her.

The man held his hands up, smile still on his face, “Now, now, I’m not here to pick a fight, Uzumaki.”

Shuukaku hummed, eyes narrowed, and hand still resting on the hilt of her blade. “That remains to be seen, _Sannin,”_ she replied sharply, curling her fingers around the hilt and sliding it out of its sheath the tiniest bit. She had not expected to run into Jiraiya this soon - she had hoped to meet him on her own terms, rather than _him_ finding _her._ Jiraiya was - was a _loose_ pack member - _there_ but not fully _integrated_.

He had been Inoichi- _sensei,_ Minato- _ji-san,_ and Mikoto- _san’s_ genin team _sensei_ and it was only through those connections that she even considered him pack, no matter how loosely. He had not remained after the Third War - and she could forgive that - but what she _couldn’t_ forgive was him not coming back after Naruto- _chibi’s_ birth and raising him as was his right as godfather.

_(there were other things too - things she would never mention out loud - Orochimaru - Tsunade-hime - her sensei - the Uchiha - Inu-chan - so many things -_ Danzou _\- she couldn’t forgive him - there was anger burning beneath the surface but she wasn’t stupid - she knew she wouldn’t be able to take him on in battle - not with her koneko with her - it wasn’t - she -)_

“Tora- _chan,”_ he started, eyes narrowing in return, and she stiffened, a snarl tearing across her face and eyes bleeding gold entirely as Ghost roared to the forefront of her mind. The _Sannin_ actually took a step back, eyes widening and she shifted slightly forward, canines bared.

“ _You have no right to call me that, Jiraiya,”_ she growled furiously, chakra rising slowly to the surface and beginning to coat her skin in a ghostly white glow. Gold eyes bore into black, pupils slit and brow furrowed in fury, and she spat, “You lost that right when you _left_ the _koneko_ by himself.”

Jiraiya blanched, before a resigned kind of anger overtook his face, but Shuukaku was done. She wasn’t - _couldn’t_ \- do this right now. She shook her head sharply and, grabbing onto Deidara, twisted her chakra and they vanished from sight - and senses.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 107 - December 8 - Fire Capitol - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

**“You’re** all fancy now aren’t you, Masumi- _chan_?”

The woman jolted, inhaling deeply, and stopped reaching for the bladed fan attached to her obi when she recognized the scent. The brunette narrowed her eyes and turned towards her cousin, who was perched on her counter next to a display of flowers peering at said display with interest. She sighed, settling back into her seat and calmly returning to the current arrangement she was working on. “Not all of us can survive being shinobi, Shuukaku- _nee,”_ she replied blandly.

There was a chuff of laughter from her cousin and it was only because she could smell the older woman that she didn’t flinch from the kunoichi when she slunk up behind her and peered over her shoulder. “Does your husband know the family you hail from?” the redhead asked, sounding genuinely curious, but Masumi knew her cousin - knew she could fake like the best of them and make it believable - but she also knew that Shuukaku was different with family.

“Ichirou would be a fool to _not_ know,” she replied, tone sharp, but her cousin simply laughed again, resting her chin on the slim shoulder under her. Masumi sighed, stopping her movements, and instead folding her hands in her lap. Shuukaku gave a low purr, and the noble woman continued in a calmer tone, “Besides - the Minamoto Clan has previous ties to the Oden Clan, even _before_ I married the current Lord - distant though those ties may be.”

“ _Hai, hai,”_ the kunoichi drawled mischievously. “I know - doesn’t mean your Lord didn’t know. How are court politics?”

Masumi shot her a suspicious look, wondering just what in the _kami-sama_ her cousin was doing here. By now, even the Lords had heard about the _Uzumaki no Yūrei_ \- not that it was very hard with the havoc the _nuke-nin_ was creating - and Masumi had heard from her _own_ family what had happened to her cousin. In fact, she, along with the rest of the clan, had been making plans for taking over Konohagakure - even the entire Country if they had too -  before Hachimitsu came home and put a stop to it.

Except Masumi was not _stupid_ \- and had slowly been working her way through the courts and weeding out spies and infiltrators, while also placing her own pieces on the board to provide for an easy takeover. She had to be especially careful if she wished to prevent the Fire Daimyo from coming to believe the Minamoto Clan was staging a _coup d'état._ It was a very fine line, and she had kept her husband in the dark about her machinations - but her husband was by no means a _fool._

But Ichirou had not married her for status or wealth - and he didn’t ask questions - simply helped where he could.

“Intriguing,” Masumi answered flatly.

The redhead laughed again and said cheerily, “I knew it was your pawprints all over the capitol, Masumi- _chan.”_

The brunette closed her eyes in exasperation and finally just asked, “Shuukaku- _nee,_ what are you _doing_ here?”

Shuukaku hummed, eyes going half-lidded and flashing gold for a brief moment, and Masumi felt a shiver crawl down her spine (not of fear, but of anticipation - an Oden always loved chaos - thrived in it even - and the promise of any would be welcomed with a grin). “I’ve received permission from Hachi that we can finally take over,” the redhead purred, something dark and vengeful underlying her tone.

“Oh? What changed?” Masumi asked, eyes narrowed in thought.

Shuukaku let out another laugh and answered, “I can get us a Hokage.”

 

**|**

 

**“Ah,** Shuu- _chan,_ I was wondering when I would get to see you,” Kaneko Ren greeted her niece warmly, bending slightly to rub their cheeks together.

Shuukaku blinked, rubbing back and asking, “You wanted to see me?” The redhead pulled away, slinking over to where her younger cousin was sitting at the table so she could greet her too.

Kanako let out a shy purr in greeting, leaning against the older woman as she flopped down next to her - it was easy to forget Shuukaku was a _nuke-nin_ now and not just visiting because she could. Ren took a spot across the table, a mild smile on her lips, “Not me specifically, Shuu- _chan.”_

“Hoh?” the redhead asked eyes narrowed dangerously. Kanako poked the kunoichi in the side and she let out a disgruntled ‘ _mrrp.’_ Then flapping a hand carelessly, asked, “Then who wants to see me?”

“Masanori- _nii,”_ Kanako provided, draping herself over Shuukaku’s lap instead, peering up with brown eyes.

“Yes,” Ren continued, smile softening at the sight of her youngest. “He didn’t think it would be wise to send something to Hachi- _chan,_ and wasn’t sure how to contact you directly - so he sent me a message instead in the hopes you’d visit here in some capacity.”

Shuukaku frowned, running a hand through Kanako’s hair, and asked, “Why does Masa- _nii_ want to talk to me?”

Ren shrugged, “Didn’t say - only wrote he wanted to talk to you soon.” She waved a hand absently, motioning towards one of the scrolls piled on the table and finished, “If you hadn’t come within the next week I was going to visit Hachi- _chan_ and mention it.”

The redhead hummed, brow furrowed, “I’ll go visit him then, before I leave the Country again.”

“Shuu- _nee,_ why did you come here anyway?” Kanako asked, curious. Living in the Fire Capitol with her mother meant that she didn’t get to visit or be visited by the rest of her family - whenever there _were_ visits there was usually a reason beyond just visiting.

“Ah,” Shuukaku started. “The Clan is preparing to take over.”

 

**|**

 

**_Year 107 - December 21 - Fire Country South-Eastern Border - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

**“You’re** strung tighter than a ninja wire trap, Masanori,” Shiranui Kenma drawled from where she was leaning back lazily in a chair and munching on one of the ration bars. “What gives?”

The dirty blonde snorted roughly and retorted sharply, a low growl in his tone, “None of your business.”

Kenma pushed her chair down sharply, eyes narrowed and flung a senbon at her partner.  The man dodged, glaring at her slightly, but she ignored it with years of practice, “Seriously, Masanori, what’s your fucking _problem?”_

“Probably me,” a voice piped up, ink covered arms draping over Masanori’s shoulders, and a familiar face peered over at her with an impish grin.

“ _Shuu-chan!”_ the man barked harshly, but the redhead only laughed, nuzzling his neck and rubbing their cheeks together briefly - reaffirming with his scent.

“Ma _sa-nii!”_ she sung back mockingly, nosing at his jaw and gazing over at Kenma with a half-lidded gaze. “I’ve come to see you, just like you wanted!”

Kenma raised an eyebrow sharply, looking away from the _nukenin_ and focusing on her partner instead, asking drily, “Just like you wanted?”

Masanori growled, a threat on his face that actually took her aback. Her partner was very slow to anger, rarely ever made threats, and was rather mellow - but she had seen him take down enemy shinobi with a cold calculation - and that was the look she was currently facing. “You won’t breathe a word of this, Shiranui,” he growled lowly, voice deadly.

Kenma stared, caught between the threat and the heat pooling in her stomach. Her family always went for danger - whether that be situations or _people_ \- and she was one that practically embodied that family trait (her twin, Genma, hid it better). She bit the inside of her cheek and pulled her eyes away, locking back onto Shuukaku’s golden gaze.

“Did you know the Oden Clan didn’t _have_ to join Konoha?” the redhead asked, blinking slowly. “Hashirama- _sama_ came with the offer himself - and it was Tobirama- _sama_ that kept us.” Kenma knew what those implications meant, and honestly, she didn’t _care._ She _liked_ Shuukaku - remembered their spars and trick trading - they had both saved each other’s lives multiple times at some point - and she had never agreed with the decisions made four years ago, (it was one of the reasons she had finally agreed to do Borders with Masanori).

“You don’t have to ask for my silence,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms under her chest. She glowered at them and continued, “I know a bad decision when I hear one - _or_ bullshit. I knew there was something rotten about it - but I ain’t got the ability to do anything about it.”

Shuukaku stared at her for a long moment, before a dangerous smile spread across her face, “Well, you can now.”

Masanori blinked, his cold calculation vanishing and blurted, “You mean -?” Shuukaku hummed in a positive and the blonde let out a disbelieving laugh. “Damn, that makes this a little more complicated.”

Kenma blinked, utterly confused by the turn in conversation, but Shuukaku was staring at her cousin. “Masa- _nii,_ what did you want to see me for?” she asked slowly, a frown building.

The shinobi let out a gusty sigh, running a hand through his hair roughly, and glaring over at one of the walls. “There have been _rumors_ on the borders,” he started slowly, brow pinched. “Rumors concerning _you_ \- I wouldn’t have thought anything of it with what you were doing, but there was just something off with the rumors.”

Shuukaku quirked an eyebrow, intrigued over these rumors that she had somehow not heard yet. “What made them so odd to you?” she asked, nosing at his jaw again.

Masanori grimaced. “Some kind of group is looking into recruiting you - but there’s also been some inquiries into the Uzumaki Clan that is leaning towards fear mongering,” he explained, and his cousin hummed, eyes narrowed in thought. She was almost positive the fear mongering was Danzou, but the group she was a little unsure about. There was only one _group_ of _nuke-nin_ of her caliber in the Elemental Nations, the Akatsuki, and she hadn’t actually sorted through all of the information she’d gotten from Amegakure.

Apparently, it was time to do that - and to see what it was that Jiraiya wanted with her too.

“Leave it alone and forget about it, Masa- _nii,”_ she finally replied after a moment, wrinkling her nose in irritation. “I’ll take care of it - you just focus on doing what you need to do to help out the clan.” She glanced over at Kenma, who was watching them with raised eyebrows, and added, “And bring Shiranui- _chan_ up to speed on what’s been happening lately.”

“And what are you going to be doing, Shuu- _chan?”_ Masanori asked rather exasperatedly, looking like he didn’t expect an actual answer. His cousin only grinned, before finally releasing her hold on him and leaving, wiggling her fingers at them in goodbye.

“Was she always like that?” Kenma asked after a moment.

Masanori eyed her for a second before shaking his head, “No.”

He didn’t elaborate on his answer.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 107 - December 30 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

**“Should** you really be moving like that, Kei?” Gai asked somewhat warily, forgoing his usual flourish when saying her name. The short haired kunoichi was currently decimating one of the training grounds just outside the village walls - her chakra doing the most damage as it spread out across the field in corrosives waves and literally wilted the plant life around her - but she was flinging around a few fire ninjutsu as well, which wasn’t healthy for the vegetation either.

Honestly, he would be surprised if anyone in the village _hadn’t_ felt Kei’s chakra yet with the amount she was spilling (an amount, he noted rather warily, she usually kept under a tight and obsessive control). The Suzuki Clan, few members as there were, had a chakra similar to that of the Yashagorō Clan, but with a certain amount of control could keep it under wraps so as to not affect their surroundings and the people around them. (this had, in fact, been the reason for their output of extremely talented sensors as the control of their corrosive chakra required a certain attunement to chakra in general)

“If I _shouldn’t,_ Hachi would maul me, so fucking _shut up, Gai,”_ she snarled, whipping her head around to glare at him. When he didn’t say anything else in response she growled and returned to her rampage, ignoring Kiyoi, who had dropped down next to Gai. Kei had sensed her friend the minute she’d left the walls.

Kiyoi looked over at Gai pensively and then said, “It really isn’t a good idea to get in Kei’s way when she rages like this.” She leaned back against one of the trees left unmarked by the other kunoichi’s wrath (only because Gai was in the general area of it), and continued, “She’s had two months to stew, and even longer than that sitting on her temper - I’m surprised she even lasted that long.”

Gai blinked at her, ignoring the sound of splintering wood and then the sudden increase of heat, and then said somewhat helplessly, “I’m just - concerned.”

Kiyoi snorted roughly, shooting him a piercing look, “That’s sweet and all, but isn’t going to help you any in Kei’s moods if you show it like that.”

“My cousin is a creature of her own, and you’d best learn that now,” Naoki added drily as he made his way over, Garou and Kenshi next to him looking gruffly relieved at the sight of Kei demolishing a training ground.

Garou rested his hand between Kenshi’s ears and shrugged, “I’m just glad to see her up and about, even if she is pissed as hell.” Naoki’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and he folded his arms with deceptive care, ignoring his teammate’s brief shoulder nudge in apology for the reminder. There was sudden silence in the training ground and the group turned to find Kei looking at them with narrowed eyes.

“Are you here for a fucking reason, or just to gossip?” she snapped, looking irritated, but her chakra was finally subsiding, however reluctantly.

Kiyoi raised her hand and chimed, “The shinobi were getting restless because of your chakra - so I volunteered to come see what was going on.”

Naoki shrugged, “I knew it was you, so I just followed after Kiyoi- _chan.”_

“Everyone is starting to actually believe you’re a _bakemono_ thanks to Uchiha,” Garou supplied helpfully, giving the disgruntled woman a fanged grin.

Instead of the usual irritated hissing because of the name, Kei gave a sharp grin and said viciously, “ _Good.”_

There was the faint thump of someone landing on a tree branch, and a lazy voice drawled, “Is it safe to grab my teammate, or will I get eaten?”

Kei narrowed her eyes at Shiranui Genma, who only peered back mildly, wiggling the senbon in his mouth, and then she said slowly, “Depends - will you give him back?” Gai looked at her with wide, disbelieving eyes, and Kiyoi had to smother a laugh into Naoki’s shoulder, which were shaking rather suspiciously. Garou didn’t even bother hiding his loud snort, and Kenshi let out a high-pitched yip that managed to come off as laughter.

Kei ignored them all.

Genma’s eyes crinkled as he smiled, “Only if he’s willing.”

 

**|**

 

**Hizashi** was fed up with the circles him and his twin were going in trying to figure out just what Kita (or rather _Uzumaki_ now, he supposed) Shuukaku had been implying with her visit two months ago, and so went behind Hiashi’s back to hopefully get some _kami-sama_ damned answers. Honestly, he should’ve gone to Kita Hachimitsu _ages_ ago, but for whatever reason Hiashi had been reluctant to seek the kunoichi out.

But Hizashi was just _done_ with everything, which had him standing in front of the Oden Compound, rather than debating even further circles with his brother. But - he had never realized how _wild_ the Oden Compound was. It was almost like visiting the Inuzuka District, but instead of various canines, it was children.

(...did the clan even _have_ that many children?)

It was - nice - though, however, unfamiliar the sheer level of energy was. Hizashi would freely admit that his clan was very stilted in how they expressed any kind of emotion (it made _him_ the odd one - yet everyone was discomfited by his mild disposition). There was - _freedom_ in the Oden Compound, no matter how untamed it was.

“Can I help you with something?” a large man asked boisterously, a welcoming grin on his face that crinkled the corner of his eyes.

Hizashi startled slightly, not having even realized the man had been heading in his direction while he had been taking in the Compound. “Ah, yes,” he answered, mild smile forming automatically. “I’m looking for Kita Hachimitsu- _san._ Is she here?”

The dark-haired man blinked and asked, sounding surprised, “You’re looking for Hachi- _chan?”_ Hizashi nodded, feeling a little off kilter in the face of the large man - who looked like he should be from Lightning Country, not Fire. “I think she said something about having to stop by the Uchiha Compound today. I don’t _think_ she has a shift at the hospital.” The man’s brow furrowed in annoyance, but Hizashi had no idea what it was directed at.

(but anger, however slight, made him seem suddenly even larger if possible)

“I will check with the Uchiha then,” Hizashi decided; he was already going behind his twin’s back, might as well go the whole kilometer (and really Hiashi should be expecting things like this by now).

The man’s expression cleared and he waved a hand, “Hold on.” The Hyuuga paused, and then winced when he suddenly boomed across the courtyard at someone leaving one of the houses, “Honey! Do you know what Hachi- _chan’s_ plans for today were? She didn’t have a mission, did she? Still in the village?”

His voice grew quieter as the red-haired woman he’d been calling to got closer, a long-suffering expression on her face. It was Kita Masuyo, the Head of the Mission Desks and Offices, if he wasn’t mistaken - and also the mother of Hachimitsu and Shuukaku. “She told us at breakfast what she was doing today, Takahiro,” she sighed exasperatedly.

“She did?”

“ _Yes,”_ she stressed with somewhat pursed lips, before she turned brown eyes on Hizashi. “Why are you looking for her?”

Hizashi could easily see where Shuukaku had gotten her rather off putting manner and eyes. Masuyo, while not as feral like as her daughters, still had that hunter lethality to her that could be sensed just enough to be vaguely foreboding. It was much like the tiger stalking its prey from the shadows - you didn’t even realize you were being hunted until it was right on top of you.

“I wish to speak with her about some matters as soon as possible,” he supplied, realizing that this really _was_ the mother of the twins that seemed to be causing vast amounts of chaos just from _breathing._ “It’s regarding some information I came upon about two months ago.”

There was a distinct golden hue to the woman’s eyes at the words, but there was no accompanying growl, or any other cat-like noise or behavior he was coming to expect from anyone in the clan. “I _see,”_ she almost purred, smiling and showing him the Oden clan’s trademark feline teeth (that were rather _sharp)_. It was evident she may actually _see_ what he wasn’t actually saying. “Hachi would be at the Uchiha right now talking with Clan Head, Fugaku- _san_ , about a project she is working on with them. If you hurry a little, you might be able to catch her before she leaves.”

Somehow, Hizashi got the distinct impression he was missing something entirely. Nonetheless he gave the two a small bow and said, “Thank you - I will leave at once then.”

“Take care,” Masuyo responded, smiling with too much teeth, and Hizashi left as quickly as was polite. If the whole family was like that, the entire village was doomed to an early grave if they ever decided to take offence (it was a _miracle_ they hadn’t over Shuukaku). It was only as he was leaving that he realized the man that had manage to startle him was the twin’s father - and he was a _civilian?_

How had a _civilian_ managed to help raise those two?

 

**|**

 

**Fugaku** blinked in surprise when a polite knock sounded on his office door. Everyone in the family (and clan) knew not to bother him when he was in a meeting unless it was important (not that this ever seemed to coincide with that the Clan Elders believed to be important). Feeling a little worried, he glanced at the woman across from him briefly as he called out, “Come in.” (Hachimitsu looked rather amused - and slightly impatient - he wasn’t sure if that was comforting or not)

Mikoto was the one to open the door, her face a mask of politeness that hid her every thought. She motioned with her hand a little and announced, “Hyuuga Hizashi would like to see both you and Hachi- _san,_ dear.”

The Uchiha Head blinked, and struggled to keep the confusion off his face as it was in fact the younger twin of the Hyuuga Clan Head standing in his office doorway. The man’s face was a mask of mildness that strangely reminded Fugaku of his uncle-in-law, Kosuke. Yet, Fugaku could think of no reason for the man to even be here, in his office, wishing to talk to him (and Hachimitsu).

“It’s about _time,”_ Hachimitsu drawled, interrupting the staring contest the two men had gotten into. Fugaku should’ve known that the kunoichi was somehow involved. “It’s been two months - I was beginning to think she hadn’t passed the message on.”

Hizashi blinked mildly, breaking the staring contest as he moved his gaze towards the brunette, “So you do have more information.”

“ _Yes,”_ she grinned, eerily similar to her mother not too long ago - it was somewhat unnerving. “Sit, you too, Mikoto- _baa-chan!”_

“This is not your office,” Fugaku started drily, but Hachimitsu cut him off with a wave of her hand.

She leaned back in her own chair, saying, “Even you admit Mikoto- _baa-chan_ is better at politics than you - and we’re going to need her brother and uncle at some point; it’s better if she were the one to explain things to them, rather than me. Less suspicion that way.”

“Very well,” Fugaku allowed shrewdly, narrowing his eyes at the younger woman. She had only just been implying rather blatantly that her own clan was planning a coup d'etat - and was including _his_ clan into those plans. Apparently, so were the Hyuuga.

Mikoto shot the younger kunoichi an unreadable look before she nodded sharply and left the room to inform Itachi to keep an eye on Sasuke (who was supposed to be doing Academy Work). She returned shortly with a platter of snacks and tea, serving everyone before she took her own seat. Fugaku turned to Hachimitsu and asked, “The room’s sealed, so just _what_ are you planning?”

“It’s not just _me,_ ” Hachimitsu deflected. “It’s what my whole _clan_ is planning.” She took a sip of her tea, letting out a low purr at the taste and gave Mikoto a hooded stare, “Delicious as always, Mikoto- _baa-chan.”_

“Thank you,” Mikoto accepted with a polite smile, and Fugaku barely managed to stop his eye from twitching at the ‘small’ talk.

Hachimitsu set her teacup down gently, but the small noise seemed to ring through the air, and Fugaku found himself tensing. “As we all know or _suspect_ , my twin was framed for leaking information to _Kumogakure_ about the Hyuuga Compound, so they could kidnap the heiress,” the assassin began, tone strangely calm. “When this happened, my family drew plans and were only waiting for me before they officially implemented them, but I refused and put a stop to them. Except, now we’re going to go through with those very plans once all the pieces are in play.”

Fugaku frowned. “And what plans are those?” Hizashi asked, placing his own cup down, and eyeing the ANBU operative warily. “Your sister implied that my family and Clan might be in danger - and I would like to know what that danger _is.”_

Hachimitsu flapped a hand, “Your clan is _safe,_ for the moment, because of what happened. There’s too much public sympathy for certain parties to even move against you - but it won’t last forever, and once that opening appears, well.”

Hizashi’s mild look turned into a mild frown, but it was Mikoto who spoke. “I am going to assume that the _certain parties_ you speak of are the same ones moving against our clan?” she asked smoothly, eyes narrowed and calculating. “And this plan of yours has a way to remove these parties.”

“You would be correct,” Hachimitsu returned, a wide smile on her face that was nowhere as friendly as her tone was.

Hizashi was beginning to be truly alarmed, as he began piecing information together, “And _who_ are these _parties?”_

“Danzou,” Fugaku answered wearily, rubbing his forehead tiredly. There was no point in hiding things now - even with a Hyuuga. “It always leads back to him and his supporters.”

Hachimitsu scoffed and then growled, “Sarutobi as well, if for no other reason than he’s turning a blind eye to all the shit his best friend is getting into.” She snagged one of the snacks, ignoring the wide eye stares from all three shinobi.

“The _Hokage?”_ Hizashi sputtered, mild look vanishing completely under his shock, and nearly spilling some of his tea. “He’s behind some of this?”

Even Mikoto and Fugaku were showing their shock, and Mikoto nearly over filled one of the nearly empty tea cups before she caught herself. Hachimitsu waved her hand and answered rather darkly, “Not in the ‘ _he’s ordering it’_ way, but more ‘ _he’s my best friend and would_ never _do that’_ way. In fact, I have suspicions that my sister stumbled onto something about Danzou that the Hokage would _not_ have been able to turn a blind eye on, and _that’s_ why she got framed.”

Fugaku managed to gather himself enough to ask somewhat hopefully, “Do you know what that information is?” If Hachimitsu knew what it was or maybe knew if Shuukaku had tangible proof of it, it would mean the breakthrough they needed.

Unfortunately, the assassin shook her head, and gave him a dull stare, “No, I don’t - or I would have turned it over and gotten myself killed trying to make the Hokage see reason, or just going after Danzou myself - maybe.”

“I have the feeling you have an idea on what it was about, however,” Mikoto pointed out lightly, and Hachimitsu’s gaze turned to the Uchiha matron, expression easing into a smile.

“It’s a high possibility,” she agreed. “But without proper proof, it’s useless.”

There were a few moments of silence, before Hizashi broke it, “So our enemy is Danzou, and you believe he has his eyes on the Hyuuga?” He had figured that Danzou had something to do with the Incident that was supposed to have sent him to his death (after all Shuukaku had explained it back in Yugakure), but he hadn’t thought - well.

“I would be very surprised if he didn’t - but like I said, your clan is a little too much in public favor to do anything about it at the moment,” Hachimitsu supplied.

Hizashi frowned, “But not in the future, even _with_ the Daimyo’s favor?”

Hachimitsu grimaced, “I’m not sure how many people Danzou has in the High Courts, so however much that favor is worth, or how much protection it offers, I don’t know.” She then shrugged and added, “I have family trying to figure all of that out at the moment.”

“Your clan has people in the High Courts as well?” Hizashi asked, blinking in surprise. “I thought only the Noble Clans did.”

Hachimitsu shrugged again, waving a hand absently, “Not in the same way your clan does. None of the Hyuuga are samurai, are they? Though you have certain people marry into the Families, yes?”

“Ah, yes.”

“I have a cousin that married into a Family, as well as several relatives in the army,” Hachimitsu explained idly. “One of my aunts is one of the main shinobi Ambassadors for the Capitol, with her daughter in training to be the next one. This is just recent years, not like your clan, who’s been working with those at the Capitol for centuries.”

“I see,” Hizashi murmured, taking a sip of his tea to give himself a moment to think. He did not remember an Oden as an Ambassador, but, then again, nearly none of them went by Oden any more. Members of the Clan were more likely to introduce themselves as so-and-so of the Oden Clan, rather than just Oden so-and-so. He will have to speak with the Hyuuga members discretely, to try and figure out just who Hachimitsu was talking about.

“To bring us back to our original topic,” Mikoto started calmly. “Just what plans were the Oden Clan drawing up, that you are now implementing?”

Hachimitsu blinked and then said flippantly, “Oh, that. We’re going to take over the village.”

Hizashi choked on his tea, and barely managed to not spray it all over Fugaku, who looked irritated, but in no way surprised. Hizashi wheezed, “You can’t - you can’t just _take over the village.”_ (except he really had a hard time _not_ believing - hadn’t they just gone over how the Oden Clan had presence even in the _Capitol?)_

“We can,” Hachimitsu stated. “Easily if we have help from the majority of Clans. Do you even realize how many branches of the government my clan is in?”

The Hyuuga was beginning to get a clue - but honestly, he wasn’t even sure how many members the Oden Clan _had._ He hadn’t even realized they had members in the Capitol, somewhere his own clan had great influence. But - even if what Hachimitsu was implying was true, there was still the matter of the Hokage. “And the Hokage? Who would that be?” he asked, because Hachimitsu was the only Jonin ranked Oden, and even now, she was too young to be Hokage herself.

“Back then, we could have just had Mikoto- _baa-chan_ become Hokage,” Hachimitsu admitted easily. “We could have swung it easily.”

“ _What?”_ Mikoto squeaked in surprise, nearly spilling her tea and polite smile fading abruptly. Even Fugaku was staring in surprise and confusion over the immediate answer and choice.

Hachimitsu gave her a _look,_ “You were Minato- _tou-sensei’s_ genin teammate. You trained under Jiraiya, the Toad Sannin. You are the only one left in the village that has the right pedigree to be Hokage under short notice - and I _remember_ _Kaa-sensei_ saying that you were able to keep up in a fight with him until you retired. Back then, we would have just needed to get you back into fighting shape and we could have easily swung it - the Uchiha PR hadn’t fallen as much as it has now - and maybe a fight to demonstrate you are still strong, but well.”

“It’s been too long now,” Mikoto sighed. “I hope you’re not planning on me doing it now, are you? What of Inoichi- _kun?”_

Hachimitsu shook her head, “No, his personal connection with Shuu- _chan_ wouldn’t go over well, even if it’s us taking over - he’s also working on something else. No, Shuu- _chan_ says she can get us someone else to be Hokage.”

Hizashi raised an eyebrow and asked, “Who? She’s a _nuke-nin._ How can she _find_ someone to be _Hokage?”_

“By finding the one person who _does_ qualify for Hokage not inside the village,” Hachimitsu answered sharply, giving him a little glare.

“Do we even have anyone _in_ the village that qualifies?” Fugaku grumbled irritably.

Hachimitsu shook her head, “No, I’ve thought about it. If you really think about it, aside from Mikoto, the next person in the village to qualify is Hatake Kakashi. Following him, would probably be me or Shisui - except all three of us are considered too young to be considered outside of extraneous circumstances. Even then, one of the Elders would push to be Hokage instead of us - there are only two other people who can even come close to qualifying as Hokage.”

“Jiraiya- _sensei_ or Tsunade- _hime,”_ Mikoto murmured as she made the connection. “Your sister is going to go for Tsunade- _hime,_ isn’t she?”

Hachimitsu purred, “Yes, she is.”

“And how does she plan on pulling that off? Tsunade- _sensei_ swore that she was never setting foot in this village after she left,” Fugaku reminded sharply.

Hachimitsu blinked, getting distracted by the sudden new information, “I didn’t know Tsunade- _hime_ had a genin team, and you were on it.”

Fugaku scowled, “Not for very long, and that doesn’t answer my question.”

“I have no idea how she’s going to do it,” the assassin waved off. “But she says she is, so I’m positive she will.”

Hizashi narrowed his eyes, and then asked, “And if she fails? Do you have a back-up plan? You can’t rely on just this.”

Hachimitsu scowled at him and grumbled, “Go with Jiraiya- _jiji_ if we have to - though he won’t last long as Hokage. He’ll just keep the seat warm until someone else comes along to take the hat. If that fails, and we can’t get a new Hokage, well.”

“If we can’t?” Hizashi challenged.

Hachimitsu looked at all three of them seriously, the cold calculation that made her a successful assassin shining behind the gold-green usually only seen on cats, “Then we are either looking at a civil war that will be a bloodbath, or we are going to use a puppet to lead Konoha.”

“A puppet?” Hizashi asked shrewdly.

Hachimitsu turned her gaze onto him solely, “Did you know you can place seals under the skin of someone and they become undetectable?”

The Hyuuga felt a chill crawl down his spine at the implications of what she had just admitted to. She could control someone without anyone, but _possibly_ another medic from finding out - and she was more than likely the only one who knew _how_ to do it. After all, you had to cut the skin in such a way to peel it up enough to apply underneath - and that would take being a medic _and_ a seal master. (of which he was sure she was both, in some capacity)

“I have access to other methods as well,” the younger woman added flippantly, like she hadn’t just admitted to knowing how to become a shinobi’s worst nightmare.

“And what are we to be doing in the meantime?” Mikoto asked calmly, unfazed in the face of the other woman. “Not just sitting here, I hope.”

“Of course not,” Hachimitsu scoffed. “We do that, we wind up _dead._ No, we basically need to buy time and keep things from spiraling into an even worse situation - which is why I think it’ll be a good idea for the Uchiha and Hyuuga to work together.”

“What,” bother Fugaku and Hizashi stated flatly.

Hachimitsu glared at them and huffed, “ _Look,_ you (she gestured sharply at Fugaku) need help in keeping the Military Police running - having the Hyuuga help with that would be a _great_ boon to you. _Especially_ if they are willing to work for little to nothing until we can get the budget back up - which my aunt’s already working on by the way.”

“The budget back up?” Hizashi questioned sharply, turning to Fugaku, who had a faint dusting of pink on his cheeks. “I was under the impression that you simply didn’t want any other clan involved with the MP.”

Fugaku glowered at Hachimitsu, but answered the other man, admitting, “No, our budget has been cut repeatedly since the Kyuubi Attack - so we were forced to let go anyone who wasn’t an Uchiha. In fact, at this point the clan is _losing_ money to keep it running.”

“I - I had no idea,” Hizashi murmured, looking alarmed and rather angry (as well as ashamed). It was not just the Hyuuga Clan that thought the Uchiha Clan were just being greedy and using the money for their own gain. He shook his head, looking rather apologetic, “I can’t make any promises.”

“But you do have your brother’s ear,” Hachimitsu pointed out lazily. “While I have the ANBU General’s - but there’s only so much we can do about the case stealing.”

“Of course, you have ANBU on this,” Hizashi sighed, resisting the urge to rub his forehead tiredly.

Hachimitsu frowned and looked upset, “To a point, yes - but I can’t say too much about it, so just leave it to me.”

“Of course,” Mikoto nodded, a faint secretive smile on her face that seemed to imply she knew the ANBU General as well - the two men were to terrified to ask.

Hachimitsu grinned, “So for the moment, the plan is for all of you to get your clans to work together in the Military Police!”

Hizashi gave in and rubbed his forehead, “This is insane, and no one is going to believe it.”

“That’s the _point._ It’s so far out there, that Danzou probably doesn’t have _any_ plans for that to happen and what the consequences would be. He won’t be able to easily plan around it,” Hachimitsu pointed out and then added, “He’s having enough of a hard time with the chaos Shuu- _chan’s_ causing.”

“I see,” Fugaku murmured, not looking overly pleased. He then turned to Hizashi and said, “Hizashi- _san,_ if you will speak to your brother about this, I will be agreeable to working something out with him in regards to this.”

Hizashi studied him silently for a moment and then glanced over at Hachimitsu, “How likely is Danzou to come after the Hyuuga Clan?”

“He already _did,”_ Hachimitsu countered somewhat harshly. “That leak came from _somewhere,_ after all. Shuu- _chan_ found where it was in Kumogakure, and T &I is looking into where it originated _here._ Off the record, talk to Inoichi- _san_ if you want confirmation.”

Hizashi kept his expression mild, and then said firmly, “I will talk to my brother about this - it’s an impressive idea, and I will be sure to _convey_ that to him.” Fugaku inclined his head.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 108 - January 5 - ??? Kusagakure - Grass Country_ **

 

**|**

 

**With** slow, trembling fingers she finished the seal Shuu- _nee_ had shown her before she left, lip trembling as she smeared the blood in one final line. Carefully, she checked to make sure none of her guards were around, and slowly sent a thin tendril of chakra into the seal she’d drawn. It flared a soft, golden color, before fading abruptly.

“Shuu- _nee_ ,” she breathed weakly. “ _Help.”_

The seal glowed a harsh, blinding white, before it went out, leaving only darkness - and when she reached out to touch the seal, only rough ground met her touch. She sobbed, curling into a ball and wishing her _kaa-chan_ hadn’t _died._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay well Hachi and Shuu decided to hijack the original plot and murder it. violently. so yes this is as weird and unbelievable as it sounds. but we still five chapters left to get through so bear with me please!!!  
> Again, thank you to all of my readers who are actually reading this fucking monstrosity!!


	7. Chapter 7

**DEFUNCT**

[dih- **fuhngkt** ]

_adjective_

1\. no longer in effect or use; not operating or functioning

2\. no longer in existence; dead; extinct

 

**|**

 

 **Summary:** You never know when an Uzumaki will cause chaos. _[If it can’t be explained, blame an Uzumaki.]_

 **Genre:** Action/Adventure/Humor

 **Warning (s):** crack level humor taken seriously; what-if scenarios; ninjas; violence/gore; unhealthy coping mechanisms; skewed morality; endangerment of minors; alteration of canon events; minor angst; historical bullshit; technical bullshit; screwing with the timeline because of Kiri/Zabuza; underage sex; reference to sex; past reference to underage sexual acts; MASSIVE information dump about the Oden Clan; LOTS of dialogue here to; other things I can’t think of off the top of my head right now

 

**|**

 

_Chapter Seven: Investigating Problems_

 

**|**

 

**_Year 103 - November 28 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **Takeo** startled when his teammate suddenly appeared at his elbow, eyes looking a little wild, and shoulders tensed. “Shuu, what?” he didn’t get to finish his question, before she was pushing him completely into his apartment, closing the door and activating the security seals she’d placed when he had first gotten the place.

Really concerned now, the blonde simply allowed the redhead to push him towards the couch, where he noted that Kiyoshi was already sitting looking rather stoic (but that was normal). “Shuu, what’s going on?” he asked, once he was seated next to his other teammate, and watched as she paced in front of them nervously.

“I probably found something really bad,” she blurted, looking distressed as she tugged on the ends of her hair harshly, skewing her cat eared hat in the process. She was avoiding their eyes and chewing on her lip, and Takeo shared a silent look with Kiyoshi.

“Is there something we can do?” Kiyoshi asked, one eyebrow raised pointedly.

Shuukaku stopped, body going worryingly still, and when she finally turned to look at them her eyes were fully gold. “You can’t do _anything_ with this information unless I _tell you too,_ okay?” she stated harshly, but both of them could see the naked fear lurking in her eyes, and after sharing another look they gave their word.

The scroll their teammate gave them was hidden in a niche in Takeo’s bedroom and layered with seals keyed to the three of them, and their _sensei_ (unknowingly).

 

**|**

 

 ** _Year 104 - February 23 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_** ****  
  
  


**|**

 

 **“Should** we look at the scroll?” Takeo asked quietly, clinging to Kiyoshi tightly as they laid curled up on his bed. The Aburame remained silent for a moment, one hand tangled in the blonde’s hair, while the other was resting on the dip in the other teen’s waist.

Finally, Kiyoshi murmured, “No. Shuukaku didn’t tell us, and if she wanted to she would find a way to tell us if she wanted us to look at it.”

Takeo bit his lip, burying his face in his teammate’s neck, and mumbled, “I miss her.” Kiyoshi said nothing in response, simply pulled the Yamanaka closer, and wished things were different.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 104 - March 4 - Unknown Location - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **“Ki- _yoshi,”_** Takeo gurgled, reaching out blindly for his teammate and wishing the pain would just _stop._ It hurt to breath, it hurt to move, it hurt to _think -_ and his eyes burned. They had fucked up. They’d gotten careless in their anger and now Shuukaku would be all _alone._ No one else could leave the village - not Hachimitsu, not Kei, not Kiyoi, not Senka, not _anyone._

“Tak _eo,”_ Kiyoshi’s voice sounded, faintly and ragged but _there_ and Takeo sobbed. Trembling fingers brushed against his, and it took more effort than it normally would to lace their fingers together. Takeo could feel his body beginning to numb but dared not to speak beyond his teammate’s - _lover_ \- name. He could still faintly sense the unknown shinobi that had attacked them and had no desire to give them any incriminating information.

Takeo struggled to turn his head, so he could see his lover - friend - teammate - family - one more time, and found Kiyoshi looking back, lips twisted in a _kami-sama gentle smile._ Takeo’s lips trembled, more blood spilling past and managed to chuckle weakly and smile himself.

When the two were found, they were holding hands with smiles on their faces even though the rest of their bodies were mutilated completely.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 104 - March 6 - Outskirts of Takanobe Village - Fire Country_ **

**|**

 

 **“Takeo** and Kiyoshi are dead.”

 

A haunting yowl shattered the air.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 108 - January 11 - ??? Kusagakure - Grass Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **Barely** two years had passed since the stealing of the Ultimate Weapon from the depths of their Prison, that half the shinobi hadn’t believed really existed, and yet things were still strained between the two factions for the civil war. Even with the reason for the split gone, the war (if one could call it that) had festered for too long, and now they were stuck with no room for compromise. Many deaths resulted, only making the tensions worse, and with the death of their best healer - a group stole her child to make use of instead.

It would end with their deaths.

Takara whimpered from his place on the floor, struggling to breathe past the blood in his throat, and wishing beyond anything that his father hadn’t been such a _foolish man._ They all knew what bloodline that woman had carried, what her _child_ carried - so what made them think it was a good idea to overwork the healer to the point of death and then kidnap her _child to force her to fill those very shoes?_ Had they not received a note warning them of stealing from an Uzumaki?

(The box had been stolen from _under their noses_ \- and they thought to get away with _abusing_ an Uzumaki _child?)_

And now they were paying the price.

Another explosion rocked the halls, and there was only the feel of malevolent chakra pressing down all around them ( _and the dying screams and pained moans of his fellow shinobi)_ as he lay in a pool of his own blood and _wished._ Takara didn’t know how this - this _demon_ managed to discover their thievery (but then how had that _thing_ discovered the Box?) but discover she did and she was _not happy._

There was the barest whisper of noise and then a gentle croon, “Hush, _koneko,_ Shuu- _nee’s_ got you now. You’re _safe.”_ Takara let out a noiseless whimper, eyes unwittingly falling onto the ruthless kunoichi that had slaughtered everyone in the base. Her red hair was unbound and falling around her body in an imitation of the rivers of blood she’d left in her wake, and her eyes were a burning gold, that were focused only on the child in her arms.

“Shuu- _nee?”_ the young girl mumbled, expression confused and awed. “You came?”

The older kunoichi made a rumbling noise, and brushed her cheek against the child’s, answering, “Of course I came, _koneko,_ you are _mine.”_ Takara made a gurgling noise, choking on his own blood, and those frightening, _ferocious_ eyes focused on him unerringly. Her expression twisted into something dark and _feral_ and her voice was a rough growl, as she snarled, “I _warned you._ Never steal from an _Uzumaki._ I’m taking back what’s _mine.”_

The shinobi only made another gurgling noise, before he finally succumbed to his wounds. Shuukaku snorted roughly, continuing her way past the bodies she’d left in her wake in her path to Karin. She wanted out of Kusagakure before she actually gave in to the urge to _burn it all to the fucking ground._ Karin’s arms were littered with bite marks, and she was getting the look of being half starved - much too small for the nine years of age the girl was.

It made her _burn._

“Am I blowing the place, _senpai?”_ Deidara asked once the woman came into sight, carrying the little girl they had come to rescue in her arms. The blonde noted the half-starved look of the girl and various bite marks on her arms - as well as the rather feral look on the older woman’s face and the blood staining nearly every inch of her body - and felt any jealousy over the new kitten in the group vanishing under the nearly crushing weight of anger.

The gold eyes narrowed, flicking between him and the building she’d just left, before her lips curled into a vicious smile, “Please do.” Deidara let an answering smile curl into life and he formed balls of clay that would explode when he pulsed his chakra. Karin had fallen asleep at some point between Shuukaku rescuing her and leaving the building, and the woman ran a hand briefly through the matted red hair, slipping a seal onto skin to keep the girl asleep.

Shuukaku glanced at the building before scoffing and turning her back to it, her _koneko’s_ explosions going off with a spectacular boom that would no doubt bring the forces of Kusagakure running en masse. Fortunately for them, she had no plans for sticking around, no matter how much she wished to slaughter _them all._ Deidara fell into step next to her, a satisfied smirk on his face, and asked, “Where to, _un?”_

“Towards Lightning Country,” the redhead answered. “I want to see Yuma.”

Deidara made a face, “Just for healing?”

The kunoichi chuffed a little and answered, some amusement coloring her tone, “Healing, yes - but I also have something I want to ask him.” Deidara eyed her suspiciously, but didn’t say anything else.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 108 - January 29 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **“The** three-year waiting period is over, and the apartments need to be cleaned out,” the young chunin explained nervously, cringing under the flat stare of the Yamanaka Clan Head. “But nobody can get into them, and when we consulted with Kita- _san,_ she said she would need at _least_ half a year to unravel the seal work - but if we wanted to get in, in a timely manner to come to you because you’re keyed into the seals.”

The boy’s voice was growing higher in pitch the longer he talked, but Inoichi couldn’t bring himself to care, or lose the blank look on his face. It - it had not _occurred_ to him really that his student’s apartments would need to be cleaned out so the next tenant could move in. There was a three-year waiting period after the death of a tenant to the apartments, in which it had to be established that the shinobi in question was truly dead and to allow for any next of kin to clear them out.

Inoichi hadn’t done that yet.

It had - had not so much as slipped his mind, as much as he hadn’t _thought about it._

In the event that the apartments hadn’t cleared out, there was a team of chunin that went and cleared them out. A civilian couldn’t do it due to the fact that any shinobi’s personal space was booby-trapped to the highest level, and so a civilian was more likely to wind up dead than able to do the job. However, not all shinobi could bypass other shinobi’s paranoia, so it was usually up to next of kin to get through as it was generally assumed that they would know best how to get around any traps.

Takeo’s parents had died during the Third War, leaving the freshly graduated boy by himself - and he had clung to his newly made team tightly as a result. Kiyoshi was the only child of a single mother - a mother who had been in ANBU at the time and rarely home because of it. Inoichi had offered Takeo a place in his home, but the boy had preferred some place of his own - so the apartment instead. Kiyoshi had always been independent, and had wanted his own space as well, so his mother had approved him getting his own apartment as well. Shuukaku had a full family, so she had never gotten her own apartment, but had frequented the boy’s often enough they were just as well hers too.

Inoichi had been in no state in the aftermath of four years ago to clean out the two apartments, so they never got done.

And now - now that waiting period was over - and he had to clear them out.

“Y-Yamanaka- _sama?”_

The Clan Head blinked slowly, focusing back on the young chunin, and finally said blankly, “I will clear them out today, if you are amenable to waiting until tomorrow?” The boy nodded vigorously, and the blonde dismissed him shortly, turning into his home so he could tell his wife he would be gone for the day.

But Sayuri was already standing in the entryway, eyes soft and expression settled into something comforting. “Go,” she said, reaching a hand out and touching his cheek gently. “We’ll be here when you’re ready.”

Inoichi felt something start to crumble inside himself as he nodded, leaning briefly into the touch before he forced himself to leave. He - could not stand the thought of anyone going with him to clean out his student’s ( _children - his_ sons) apartments. Shuukaku wasn’t there - and there was no way for her to _be_ there - so he would do this himself (the crack inside grew ever wider).

He went to Kiyoshi’s first.

The apartment was ridiculously orderly despite the layer of dust that covered every surface. It had been _difficult_ to open the door to the apartment knowing his student wouldn’t be there to greet him with a careful smile and even, “ _Sensei.”_ Kiyoshi had been neat in everything he did, whether it be his taijutsu or his state of living. The bookshelves that covered one of the walls was ordered neatly by title, and only one was missing - instead lying on the coffee table in the living room a worn bookmark in its pages.

Inoichi swallowed, tearing his gaze away from the book and glancing instead into the kitchen. A bowl and set of chopsticks were sitting on the counter, cleaned, just not put away - it was a deep blue in color and had been a birthday gift from _him._ The retired shinobi slowly picked the bowl up, tracing a finger around the rim carefully before he placed it back down (it was only his training that prevented him from falling to pieces) and moved instead to the bedroom, heart in his throat.

There was no raised bed - Kiyoshi had detested them - instead, his futon was folded neatly in one of the corners, a spare pack next to it. As if to break the tidiness of the room, there was a pair of pants and a shirt tossed haphazardly on the floor and Inoichi recognized them as Takeo’s - there was a cat eared beanie hanging from a hook on one of the walls too, which was Shuukaku’s - and he recognized one of his own spare packs of senbon sitting on the small desk in the room.

Inoichi placed a trembling hand over his face, closing his eyes and fighting just to _breathe._

After a moment, he pulled out a storage scroll and began sealing away everything. He had to stop frequently, just to get the trembling to _stop_ \- but eventually, he had everything tucked away in the scroll, and with careful strokes he wrote: _Aburame Kiyoshi._

He wasn’t sure why Asuka hadn’t done this - but he was - _grateful_ in a way that she hadn’t. It was painful ( _it felt like he was dying all over again - his heart threatening to fade away - his mind jumbled in a mess of pain and grief and_ hate _and he couldn’t - couldn’t - couldn’t -_ couldn’t -), but it was - closure too. The wound would probably never heal fully - would threaten to break open if someone picked at it - but it was stitching itself closed at least.

Takeo’s apartment was on a different floor, on the end with a large window set in one of the walls, curtains drawn closed. It was messier than Kiyoshi’s apartment - medical texts strewn around the living room in various states of opened pages or marked spaces, scrolls and papers filled with notes and scribbles. There were taijutsu scrolls thrown in the mix as well, just as many notes written on them as well - and ink was splattered on both the couch and table, stains that had been there for a long time (Takeo talked with his hands and often forgot if he was holding an ink brush).

The kitchen was half filled with rinsed dishes, one being the red bowl Inoichi had gotten for one of his birthdays too (Shuukaku had received a green bowl - he wasn’t sure what had happened to it) - but they weren’t actually clean. Even more books and notes were spread across the kitchen counter - these ones marked by small food stains. There were shelves along one wall - but the books were more shoved on at random than with any organization (something that had Kiyoshi’s hands itching with the need to organize).

The shinobi’s bedroom wasn’t any better, random articles of clothing strewn on the floor and his bed (raised, unlike Kiyoshi’s futon) wasn’t made, blankets and pillows in disarray. One of Kiyoshi’s coats was tossed over the desk chair, and he was fairly sure the kimono on the edge of the bed was Shuukaku’s - and that was one of his own shirts crumpled up and half under one of the pillows. Four festival masks were hanging on the wall - masks that the team had gotten on one of their missions (in fact, it was the one he had introduced his team to Gemmei), and there was a painted scroll on a different wall - one painted by Shuukaku going by the inked paw print on the corner.

The scroll was - he didn’t remember seeing it before.

Inoichi frowned. Shuukaku had always shown the team any finished painting she’d done (few and far between as there’d been) - and he remembered every one in some way. This one - this one he didn’t remember at _all._ It was done in harsh black, threads of red and purple entwining to show a shadowy form of a large cat - and it was unlike any other painting Shuukaku had ever done.

He moved closer to the scroll, peering at it with narrowed eyes, and carefully sent a thread of chakra at it. The ink _stuttered_ \- and then slowly it twisted into a spiral and the end of a slim scroll extended out from the ink, falling into the hand he reflexively held out to catch it. He looked at the scroll in blank shock - knowing his student’s work even if he didn’t remember being keyed into whatever seal this was - and wondered.

Shuukaku hadn’t mentioned anything to him about whatever this was - and there was no way it _wasn’t_ important since it was sealed in a scroll he’d never seen and in Takeo’s apartment - a place that was sealed against everyone but his _team._ Frowning, he touched the inked spot on the inside of his elbow and then pressed the scroll to it - it sunk into his skin and then, with a grim determination, he set about sealing away Takeo’s belongings, marking the scroll with: _Yamanaka Takeo._

He would have to see what the scroll was when he was behind his own sealed walls.

**|**

 

**_Year 108 - February 17 - Setana Village - Lightning Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **Yuma** raised an eyebrow, and asked, “You want me to what?” If he had known pairing up with this madwoman would lead to him getting into highly unusual situations - he honestly wasn’t sure if he wouldn’t just do it all over again anyway. Even with all the insanity that seemed to follow in the redhead’s wake - he’d never felt more alive or welcomed than in her presence. Of all the _nukenin_ he could’ve bedded, he was - _thankful_ \- it was Shuukaku.

“Keep an eye out for Haruki,” the redhead repeated, one eye on her two charges (or _kittens_ as she called them - embarrassingly enough he’d caught himself calling the two that now too - really most kids he ever ran into), who were doing something with ink, paper, and clay that was probably concerning, so he avoided thinking about what the two were doing.

The ex-Kumogakure shinobi rolled his eyes, leaning back onto his elbows and looking upwards, “I got that, but _who_ _is Haruki?_ Can’t find somebody I don’t know, _red.”_

Shuukaku let out a chuffed laugh, eyes crinkling at the corner and telling him she was genuinely amused. “Fair point, lovely,” she conceded. He shot her a look at the nickname, but she ignored it as usual, eyes glittering with humor. “Haruki is a relative of mine. He vanished about, oh, twenty-three or so years ago, and I’ve found out he’s still alive, just has amnesia. He’s been wandering the Nations ever since, and I want to find him - he’s _family.”_

“Alright,” Yuma drawled easily, twisting around so he was on his side, planting his face on his hand and looking at her with a raised eyebrow. “What’s he look like? And how am I to go about letting _you_ know if I’ve found him or not?”

The kunoichi hummed, tapping her claws against the wood of the porch. “His hair’s red - like mine - chances are he’s got a wild mane of it like me too. His eyes are purple, which is pretty distinctive - honestly, you’ll probably recognize him instantly when you see him,” she described loosely, and she had a point really. Yuma sighed - if the man was an Uzumaki, he’d have similarities to Shuukaku that would be hard pressed to miss.

“As to how you’ll let me know,” the redhead continued, turning to look at him with a toothy grin, “How are you with seals?”

Yuma frowned at her.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 108 - February 24 - Old Oden Clan Complex - Rice Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **“Shuu- _nee?”_** Karin asked softly, clutching at Deidara’s sleeve as she walked beside the older boy. Shuukaku hummed from her spot in front of them, indicating she was listening. “Where are we?” The kunoichi had led them out of Lightning Country, through Frost and Hot Water Country, and into Rice Country without telling them where they were going - but now they had reached a rare forested part of Rice and they had slowed down to a meandering walk.

“The Old Oden Clan Complex,” the redhead answered, leading them through an archway that was overgrown with moss and vines - but there was a worn symbol carved into the keystone. It was a rather stylized shape of a cat’s head - looking more like it was carved by an ink brush somehow than the more harsh lines of most Clan Symbols.

“Oh,” Karin said. There was a pause of silence, and then she asked, “What’s the Oden Clan? Did they make noodles?”

Deidara bit his cheek to stop himself from bursting into laughter, but Shuukaku had no such qualms, throwing her head back and laughing freely. “No, no, _koneko,”_ the kunoichi responded, a fond expression unfurling on her face. “The Oden Clan is a clan that has special chakra, and the Gift of Nibi - they were a clan that was probably the closest to ever being a Jinchūriki, without having a _bijuu_ sealed in them.”

Deidara blinked, and then asked, “Gift of Nibi?”

Shuukaku blinked, turning her attention onto him, and her eyes bled into gold, swirling into life like liquid gold poured into chocolate. “Yes,” she answered. “The head of the Clan at the time did a favor for _Nibi-sama_ and to repay that favor, she gave him a chunk of her chakra - however, due to the nature of the Oden Clan chakra, it morphed into a _kekkei genkai._ Any child born from that line has a small piece of _Nibi-sama’s_ chakra, but it was dormant for a while until my grandmother married a full-blooded Uzumaki.”

“But aren’t you an Uzumaki?” Karin asked, blinking up at the woman with a furrowed brow.

Shuukaku smiled, resting a hand on the smaller redhead’s head, and answered, “I am an Uzumaki, but I am also an Oden.” Karin blinked, before nodding her head.

“Why are we here though, _senpai, un?”_ Deidara asked. They had gone to an Uzumaki ruin before the whole disaster in Konohagakure, and then returned after since they had gotten interrupted. She’d taken any scroll they’d come across, even some that he hadn’t even realized been there since they were hidden, and then certain Shinigami masks from a hall filled with them (it had creeped him out). She’d never explained what she’d been doing, or what she’d wanted with all of those things though.

The trio entered a crumbling building that lied in the center of the complex, the wood rotted away, and the stones worn by time and nature. It had obviously been a library at some point, broken shelves lining nearly every inch of the building - but they were all virtually empty save for a few yellowed and cracked scrolls. There was a sudden cold breeze, and Shuukaku stopped, her expression looking surprised.

“Oh,” she murmured, eyes focusing on something in front of them. “Akeno- _sama.”_ Deidara stared - _what the fuck?_ Shuukaku waved a hand, bowing her head slightly and saying, “No, I am an Oden, though I currently claim the Uzumaki name. I did not realize someone had not been put to rest here - our Clan is normally very efficient over such things.”

Deidara tore his gaze away from his suddenly _gone insane senpai,_ when there was tug on his sleeve, and found Karin looking up at him with wide eyes. “Is Shuu- _nee_ talking to a _ghost?”_ she asked, once she realized she had his attention. Deidara opened his mouth to deny it - but stopped. Hadn’t she admitted to knowing ghosts from Uzushio?

Swallowing, he finally managed, “Probably.”

“Hoh? I see,” Shuukaku murmured, expression turning solemn. “How may I put your soul to rest, Akeno- _sama?”_ The two younger shinobi stayed silent, watching as the older woman waited for an answer to her question. Her eyes widened and then narrowed, before finally she said, “I will see to it, Akeno- _sama._ Do you wish to wait until I return? No? As you wish, Akeno- _sama.”_ Her chakra flickered to life around her hand, which she reached out and touched something in front of her. There was a soft glow, and for a moment the two children could see a ghostly figure.

It was an elderly man, hair snowy white and pulled into a wild tail, dressed in a kimono stained with blood and a blade on his back. His eyes were a faint golden color, and the corners were crinkled as his lips stretched into a serene smile. Two whisker like marks marked his wrinkled and weathered cheeks, and in a warm voice they barely heard, he said, “ _Thank you, child of Oden.”_

The ghostly figure dispersed, and Shuukaku retracted her hand, a grieved expression on her face. “ _Senpai?”_ Deidara asked carefully, reaching out and tangling his fingers in her obi.

She shook her head, turning to smile at him, and murmured, “It’s alright, come.” She turned away and began moving towards the back half of the once library, where, nestled among the shelves, was a lone pedestal. It was cracked, and pieces were missing, but there was still the form of a large cat that seemed to be made of flames engraved into the stone. Vines and moss were creeping up the leg, covering the once white stone in green, and it was with a careful hand that Shuukaku reached out.

She laid the palm of her hand on the flat surface, wisps of her white chakra spiraling up her arm from her fingertips. There was a mighty groan, and rumbling of the ground under their feet, before the pedestal slowly moved back across the floor. Where the bottom of the pedestal had just been a moment ago, there was a square shaped panel engraved with fiery swirls, and with nimble fingers, Shuukaku pried it up. Sitting inside the panel was a pile of stringed beads, a swirling turquoise color that seemed to flicker with an inner flame.

“What’s _that?”_ Karin asked, fingers curled in Deidara’s obi as she peered down at the beads with curious eyes. She could sense an abnormally large amount of chakra emanating from the beads, but only _after_ Shuukaku had lifted the panel.

The kunoichi hummed, picking the beads up and wrapping them around her wrist, and answered idly, “Something I need to return.” She then stood, closing the panel and touching the pedestal with another flick of her chakra had it moving back into place, no sign of it ever having moved evident. She then motioned with her hand, and said, “Come on, let’s clean this place out. I want to see if I can find Akeno- _sama’s_ blade too.”

Deidara blinked and then asked, “Who’s Akeno- _sama, un?”_

“Hmm, he was the head of the Clan I was telling you about earlier,” Shuukaku replied absently, head cocked slightly like she was listening to something. She began moving around the library, sealing away any of the stray scrolls, and squirreling out any hidden niches containing even more. The two just followed after her, keeping an eye out for any kind of blade, or other scrolls that the redhead might have missed on the off chance.

They did this in silence, before Shuukaku deemed the library sufficiently cleaned out, and began making her way further into the decayed complex. “Can you really see ghosts, Shuu- _nee?”_ Karin asked, voice rushed, since Deidara was pretty sure she’d been holding back since they’d been in the library.

Shuukaku chuffed, eyes gleaming over at them for a moment as she answered, “Yes - it’s a bit of an open secret in the Oden Clan. We can see the dead and will send them on if we get the chance, but not everyone lingers, and not every ghost is _aware,_ so to speak. I’m one with a stronger sense than a majority of my Clan, but my twin is pretty close.”

“Do you see them often?” Karin asked, now that she knew Shuukaku was willing to answer her questions. The group stepped into a house that was surprisingly less decayed than the rest of the buildings in the compound, the Clan crest engraved above the broken door. Shuukaku led them through the house easily, making her way towards the back in a somewhat meandering manner.

“Not typically,” the kunoichi answered absently. “It depends on the area and how much it’s left to fester. Uzushio was the worst - too many slaughtered, and no bodies buried to be given rest. There were shades everywhere and too much unrest. Ah-hah.” The redhead paused in an office situated near the back of the house, the door ajar and the shelves empty, though there were some loose scrolls scattered around. Otherwise it was wholly undisturbed.

Nestled on the wall behind the desk was a blade - pristine, despite the length of time it had presumably been there. The blade was bare, but a black in color, as was the hilt, but there was tassel decoration wrapped just above the hilt that was a faded blue. It gleamed in the low lighting, seeming to suck in the light itself, and Deidara could _swear_ he heard a humming emanating from the sword. Shuukaku reached for the blade, and said lowly, “Hush, _Kage no Tsume.”_

She flipped the blade through the air and it slid seamlessly into a mark on her wrist. The humming disappeared, and Deidara eyed her wrist warily, while Karin looked on with wide eyes. “Let’s go, _kittens,”_ she purred, amusement evident in her tone. “We’ve got a _neko_ to find.”

 

**|**

 

 ** _Year 108 - February 24 - Late Evening - Southern Border of Lightning Country - Lightning Country_** ****  
  
  


**|**

 

 **Yugito** skidded to an abrupt stop, her team stuttering to a stop as well, and shifting back towards her. She wasn’t paying them any attention though, as the Nibi surged forward with a rumbling purr, forcing her way into the forefront of her mind. Yugito struggled, not willing to submit to the _bijuu_ taking control of her body, but the Nibi was too stubborn.

There was a flash of white chakra and the group found themselves frozen in place, unable to react to the figure now standing in the middle of the group. Red hair fluttered in the wind and Yugito only had a second to recognize the face of _Uzumaki no Yūrei_ before the Nibi took over completely. “ _Koneko!”_

“Nibi- _sama,”_ Shuukaku greeted in return warmly, an amused smile curling back her lips. She accepted the cheek rub from the _bijuu_ controlling their Jinchūriki’s body, and continued, “Akeno- _sama_ sends his regards and a _gift_ of sorts.”

Nibi frowned, pulling away with one last rub, and queried, “Did he not join the Pure Lands?” Her red-haired kitten smiled wanly and shook her head gently.

“Not at his time of death; there was something left he wanted to do, and was unable to while living,” she explained quietly. “I sent him on with the promise I would do what he wished.”

Nibi let out a soft noise of loss, leaning in again to nuzzle the woman’s neck. “His sword?”

Shuukaku let out a low purr, “Sealed, for the moment. I’m going to gift it to my twin - she’ll have more use for it than me, and _Muramasa_ is too possessive, anyway.”

Nibi chuffed in amusement, nuzzling some more, before she rumbled, “What did my _koneko_ need to do that it kept him from the Pure Lands for so long?”

Her kitten laughed, pulling away and showing off her arm. Nibi noted the ink marking skin curiously, before she zeroed in on the beads wrapped around the redhead’s wrist. “He - _found_ them?” she breathed, running human fingers over the blue beads carefully.

Shuukaku hummed in agreement and explained, “From what I understand, he found them, but when he tried to find _you_ , he couldn’t. He hid them away, so they wouldn’t become lost again, but he was killed before he could trust anyone to tell - and the Clan moved compounds not long after.”

Nibi took the beads gently, giving a low purr before she looked her young _koneko_ in the eyes, “Twice now, people of your Clan have helped me - so twice I shall gift you.”

Shuukaku’s eyes widened, “Nibi- _sama_ -!”

But it was too late.

There was a surge of chakra, Nibi’s eyes glowed, and before Shuukaku could react, the _bijuu_ slammed her palm on the redhead’s chest. The chakra roared forward, a burning light that blinded everyone, before it vanished abruptly, leaving Shuukaku blinking dazedly.

The redhead staggered, feeling like she’d just went on a bar hopping binge to get thoroughly _drunk_. She moaned, “Nibi- _sama?”_

“I think - I think she drained herself,” a different voice said cautiously. Shuukaku looked up blearily, eyes barely able to focus on the somewhat blurry shape in front of her. Ghost rumbled somewhere in the back of her mind.

“Nii- _chan?”_ she mumbled instead, swaying on the spot. _Muramasa_ was whispering darkly, sounding more irritable than their usual bloodthirst - and there was something else - something -

“She won’t let me hurt you,” Yugito said flatly, still a little cautious. Even though the other woman was obviously punch drunk, whatever she had done to her team was still holding - and a _nuke-nin_ (even a technically _drunk_ one) was not something Yugito wanted to mess with. “You need to leave.”

Shuukaku stared vacantly at the blonde, and mumbled, “Dei- _chan?”_

Yugito startled violently when a blonde boy (girl?) appeared next to the woman, hand twisting into her obi and blue eyes narrowed in a glare. “ _Senpai,”_ the blonde said lowly. “We need to go, _un.”_

“Not - not yet - Nii- _chan,”_ the redhead slurred slightly, blinking rapidly, and she lurched forward slightly and patted at the blonde girl’s cheek. “You - you need to be wary - there’s - there’s people hunting the _bijuu._ Don’t - don’t do something - something - st - stu - _dumb.”_

Her expression was screwed up with intense concentration and the words were sloppy but - Yugito couldn’t help but take the warning to heart anyway. She didn’t trust the _nuke-nin,_ not one bit, but there was something to be said about a woman who had blackmail on her village, and hadn’t even used it yet - plus there was the _Nibi_ to consider, as well. So, she nodded in acquiescence, and received a bright, fanged grin in return.

The redhead made to move, but stumbled slightly, making her stop and confusion twisting her features. A tug on her obi got her moving again, and Yugito watched them leave warily - it was only when they were out of sight that she finally gained full control over her body. “ _What_ was _that?”_ one of her teammates asked, jerking slightly as whatever was holding him released.

Yugito frowned, looking down at the beads now wrapped around her wrist, and answered, “I don’t know.”

 

**|**

 

 **“Zabuza- _san_** is somewhere nearby,” Shuukaku slurred, saved from falling over on her face only by the grip Deidara had on her obi. “He should - should - he’s _attractive.”_ She giggled, nearly tripping over her feet and Deidara let out a curse. Karin gaped at the two of them when they entered the makeshift camp Shuukaku had set up. The redhead was leaning to one side heavily, and looked like she’d been out drinking and was still drunk - Deidara was the only thing keeping her upright.

“Don’t ask - I have _no_ idea,” the blonde said shortly. “She says Momochi is nearby, see if you can sense him.”

She gave him a churlish look and pointed out, “I haven’t _met_ him yet - what’s he supposed to feel like?”

“Smoke! Water smoke!” Shuukaku provided brightly, waving a hand and almost toppling over in the process. She giggled again and sang, “I wanna _see_ him again! He smelled good - like blood and water and se-!”

“ _Alright!”_ Deidara interrupted sharply, voice a slightly higher octave than normal, “Mist - he feels like mist.” Karin stared at the older kunoichi with wide eyes, before looking at Deidara with slight panic. He gave her a pained look, and said, “Please just find him. Haku should be with him, and he feels like ice.”

Karin nodded rapidly, closing her eyes and scrunching her nose as she concentrated. “Uhm, two people that feel like mist and ice are about a mile away south of us?” she offered after a moment, peeking an eye open.

Deidara looked relieved, “Right, take down the seals and we’ll head that way.” Shuukaku cheered, throwing a fist into the air, and promptly fell over, the blonde’s grip having loosened from the sudden move.

“ _Ow,”_ the redhead mumbled from the ground.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 108 - February 25 - Early Morning - Haran Bay - Frost Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **“Lovely!”** was the only warning Zabuza got before he had an armful of female. He let out a string of curses, barely managing to get his arms around the kunoichi before she fell over, and swung his gaze over in the direction she’d come from.

The little blonde brat was there with a pained look on his face, but there was also a small redheaded girl next to him, looking shocked. Of _course,_ Red had picked up another brat.

A hand slapped his shoulder, and he looked down. Shuukaku was pouting at him outrageously, but he noted that her pupils were completely blown and there was a faint tremor to her body, and a light sheen of sweat on her forehead. He quirked an eyebrow, and looked back over at the blonde brat and asked, “How’d she get chakra overload?”

The brat gave him a mulish look and snapped, “I don’t fucking know, _un!”_

The swordsman rolled his eyes, attention turning back to the woman plastered on his chest. She was nuzzling his neck, something that _should_ have made him nervous and wary, and yet he sensed no intent from her other than something akin to a dog or cat. She made some huffing noises mixed with the rumbling noise she often made at her brat. “What are you _doing?”_ he asked after a moment, glaring down at her.

“Smell good - gotta mark you,” she muttered in between noises, sounding highly pleased with herself and half drugged.

He stared, and the blonde brat said overly loudly, “Al _right,_ let’s just go over there and set up camp, _away_ from them. _Far_ away.”

Zabuza thought about saying no, but he didn’t think leaving Shuukaku alone would _work_ (he would have to make her let go _first)_. He sighed, wondering how the fuck this became his life.

“You’re _pretty._ And attractive,” she said, smiling at him with too many teeth. His eyebrow twitched. “Plus, your _teeth,”_ her voice went low, eyes going half-lidded and she pressed closer against him. “How many marks could they leave on my skin?”

“ _Red,”_ he started, eyes narrowing. “Ask me that when you're _not_ drunk on chakra.” She mewled, lips turning into a pout, and slid a calf around his legs, but he glared down at her. “Stop that,” he growled. She whined, and he tightened his arms around her, before heaving her up and over his shoulder.

The redhead squeaked, and he began making his way towards the camp the brats were building. He barely twitched when he felt hands squeeze his ass, and he heard her mumble, “Your ass is nice; how have I not noticed this before?”

Haku was watching the little redhead with fascinated eyes as she drew seals to presumably secure the camp, and Zabuza barely withheld a sigh. The kid had been intrigued the first time Red had used seals, but had gotten utterly _fascinated_ when Red had used her seals in a battle on a different mission they’d met on.

She had just laughed and set Haku on practicing his calligraphy - the last time they’d met up, she had set him to practicing his writing while doing _anything_. This would be the first time since then, that’d they seen each other.

He knew the moment Red scented Haku, because she perked up, and began hitting his back to be let down. The moment her feet touched the ground she tackled Haku with an excited shout of, “ _KONEKO!!”_

The two were sent to the ground, Haku unprepared for the move, and Zabuza grinned at the squawk his student let out. Red was making that rumbling noise again, and nuzzling Haku’s cheek. The boy shot Deidara a panicked look, to which the blonde just shrugged.

Shuukaku was always obviously affectionate with Deidara, but had mostly given Haku and Zabuza fleeting touches, probably due to some kind of boundary. This was the first time she’d really initiated full body contact and did the strange animal like behavior towards them. It was oddly _gratifying,_ somehow.

“Right. Red, let ‘em up,” Zabuza grunted, lifting her up by the back of her kimono, and mildly surprised he _could._ She let out a low whine, but let him lift her, and Haku stumbled slightly as he got up, looking dazed. “You need sleep,” the swordsman grunted, moving her in the direction of a tree with relatively large branches.

“Mean, _lovely,”_ she pouted, but scrambled up the tree to curl up on a branch, peering down at them with gold eyes.

Zabuza gave her a narrowed eyed look and ordered, “ _Sleep,_ Red.” She stuck out her tongue, but closed her eyes, body going slack almost instantly. The swordsman shook his head and then turned to Deidara, “What happened?”

The blonde grimaced.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 108 - February 25 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **The** first clue Sarutobi received that indicated something wasn’t quite right in the village was a report from the Academy saying there was a _problem._ There was no time to really investigate the report, when a frazzled looking chunin barged into his office with a shout of, “Hokage- _sama!”_ The poor boy leaned against the door jam, knuckles white around the doorknob as he gasped for breath. His headband was lopsided and clothes disheveled, while his hair was attempting to imitate a bird’s nest.

Sarutobi stared, “Yes?” There was no blood, so he was going to assume there were no life-threatening issues.

The chunin took in a deep gasp, about to answer, but a jonin came charging in through the open door looking just as frazzled and disheveled as his fellow shinobi, but with a somewhat hysterical glint in his eyes - and his uniform looked … distinctly rumpled and was that - _lipstick_ on his neck? “Hokage- _sama!”_ he shouted, not even looking at the chunin and turning his rather crazed look to the Hokage and continuing, “ _Do something about them please!”_

Sarutobi blinked slowly, and then asked mildly, “Who?”

“You need to just send them all home,” a different voice said dryly, and Sarutobi turned to look at his ANBU General.

“And who am I sending _home?”_ he asked exasperatedly.

“Ho-ka _-ge-sama,”_ a voice sang cheerily, and yet shivers crawled down his spine and the hairs on the back of his neck rose. The chunin whimpered, scuttling along the wall away from the door, and the jonin seemed to have frozen where he stood, face stark white. The ANBU General tensed warily, sliding subtly away from the Hokage.

Sarutobi turned to his doorway once more and resisted the urge to swallow roughly and hide under his desk. Kita Masuyo stood in his office doorway, a smile practically painted on her face and eyes gleaming gold, pupils blown wide. She had a large stack of paperwork in her arms, and the air around her seemed very smugly satisfied.

There was a terrified scream from down the hall.

 

**|**

 

 **Shikaku** blinked idly, sweeping his gaze over the front grounds of the Academy, and then down at his son, who was looking a little wild eyed. “Shika?” he asked drily.

“I didn’t do it,” the boy bit out swiftly. “Kita did it.”

The older Nara blinked, and then turned his gaze to the Academy roof when loud laughter sounded across the yard. A boy about the age of graduation stood on the roof, a bag full of _something_ slung over his shoulder, and had the wild grin of an Oden Clan member - which, didn’t Hachimitsu- _chan_ have a younger brother in the Academy, who was friends with _Kei-chan’s_ younger brother?

Shikaku eyed the dripping walls, the frazzled chunin (all missing their hiate and thigh holsters?) trying to get the nimbly escaping boy, and then his son. “Why don’t we go home and play a game of shogi?”

“ _Please.”_

 

**|**

 

 **“Do** either of you know why the shinobi force looks ready to have a hysterical breakdown?” Ito asked somewhat bemusedly as he made his way over to his teammates. Senka was already seated on the ground, legs crossed and Shouhei’s head in her lap. The blonde woman had her usual blank expression, though there was a furrow of confusion in her brow - while Shouhei looked like a cat who caught the canary.

Ito blinked and quirked a prompting eyebrow at Shouhei, but that only set the other man off into loud guffaws, wheezing and clutching at his stomach, and halfway turned to hide his laughter in Senka’s stomach. “Shouhei- _kun?”_ Senka asked, sounding only mildly alarmed.

“Sorry - sorry!” the brunette gasped out, waving a hand carelessly. “It’s just - it’s the Oden Clan - they’re - hah! They’re - they’re running amok like a bunch of cats on _catnip.”_

“The fuck?” Garou barked as he stopped just shy of the trio, a plate of pork buns and dango in his hand. “How the fuck is the village still standing?” He handed the plate of pork buns to Senka, who took the plate with a soft nod of thanks. The Inuzuka waved it off, settling down next to her with the plate of dango for himself, and Kenshi, curling next to him and plopping his head on his thigh with a soft huff, nose twitching.

Kiyoi let out a snicker, coming up from behind her teammate, handing Ito a steaming takoyaki and settling down next to him easily, despite his sudden stiffness. Her team had been voted to do the food run for their get together - and Kei’s team hadn’t shown up yet. “Hokage _-sama_ sent them all home,” she answered Garou, starting in on her bowl of noodles.

The Inuzuka scoffed, “I repeat, _how the fuck is the village still standing?”_

“They’re all playing some kind of convoluted card game in the Compound,” Naoki supplied drily, sitting down next to Shouhei and deliberately pressing the hot plate of beef down on the other man’s stomach.

“ _Abuse!”_ the brunette screeched. “Spousal abuse!”

“Not married,” the Kurama shot back flatly, not even looking at the other man.

“ _Yet,”_ Shouhei grumbled, sitting up and taking the hot plate from his stomach. Naoki notably didn’t retort.

“They may be playing fucking cards now, but not before traumatizing multiple shinobi,” Kei added as she came up behind Shouhei and absently dug her elbow on the top of his head, making him squawk. Hiroshi let out a sigh from next to his blue haired teammate. “I think one of the jonin got molested by one of the Odens - he looked rather disheveled and I’m pretty fucking sure he was sporting a hard on - even after the Odens were sent home.”

Hiroshi rolled his eyes, but added, “I know Hachimitsu- _san’s_ younger brother was running wild at the Academy - Shika- _chan_ came home looking scarred for life.”

 “...Is this why I saw Hachimitsu- _san_ dragging Shisui- _kun_ off to his apartment?” Ito asked, blinking bemusedly.

Hiroshi rubbed the back of his head, even as Kei let out a loud cackle, and asked idly, “Do we even know what’s going on with Oden Clan?”

Shouhei snickered, still stuck on his cat on catnip image, and said, “Not really. It was like they all woke up this morning and decided to fuck shit up all across the village.”

Senka frowned, pulling up a mental image of the one Oden she’d seen that day. The shinobi had been - _jittery_ and now that she was thinking about it, his pupils had been blown wide, and he’d been trembling slightly, and she was pretty sure he had been sweating slightly. “I think,” she started, sounding a little surprised, but also confused. “They’re suffering from chakra overload - at least the one I saw earlier was?”

Naoki stared and then blurted, _“All of them?”_

“At the same time?” Kei muttered, brow furrowed.

Senka shrugged uncomfortably, and Garou just said flatly into the ensuing silence, “It’s probably Shuu- _san’s_ fault.” The group all paused to think _that_ over, and then nodded.

It probably was - she was usually the culprit.

“Well, whatever,” Kei finally said, waving a hand sharply and then pointing at Senka, “ _You_ need to come visit the brats soon. Kiba has been fucking sulky as fuck since you haven’t met Akamaru yet.” The blonde gave her a confused look, while Garou groaned, and Kenshi let out a short bark. Kei snorted roughly, “Senka, you _have_ noticed that the Inuzuka brat has attached himself to you, right?”

“He...has?” Senka asked bewilderedly.

Kei rolled her eyes heavenward, and Shouhei let out a loud guffaw. Garou gave the pale blonde an incredulous look, “Seriously? Kiba practically glues himself to your side whenever you help out, and literally _whines_ when you leave - if he wasn’t such a rambunctious pain in the ass he’d be sulking every hour of the day he didn’t see you.”

“Oh,” Senka murmured, brow furrowed and looking concerned.

Ito reached over and poked her in the side, making Kiyoi grunt a little when she was dislodged slightly from her spot. “It’s not a bad thing, Senka- _chan,”_ he soothed, smiling mildly. The blonde relaxed a little at the reassurance, and everyone fell into random conversations, taking the chance with all of them there for once to catch up.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 108 - February 25 - Konohagakure, Yamanaka Head’s Home - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **Inoichi** had taken the chaos in the wake of the Oden Clan’s sudden ‘fuck shit up’ attitudes to hide out in his house and debate on the scroll he’d found in Takeo’s apartment. He couldn’t decide on if he should open it - or take it to Hachimitsu. Except Shuukaku’s twin hadn’t been keyed to the scroll, he’d figured out - so it was possibly something that Hachimitsu wasn’t supposed to see.

The blonde sighed and rubbed his forehead wearily, trying to fight back the migraine building behind his eyes. He had to come to a decision soon - because he did not want to risk the scroll somehow managing to disappear.

And if he didn’t show Hachimitsu, but opened it himself, he could decide if she should have it or not.

But -

“Damnit, Shuu- _chan,”_ he muttered, closing his eyes and heaving another sigh. Then he took a deep breath and glared down at the scroll and - opened it. There was a soft thump as a pile of paperwork appeared on the scroll and Inoichi skimmed the first page and -

Stopped.

And began reading it in earnest from the top, and his stomach sank. “Oh, Shuu- _chan,_ just what _have_ you gotten yourself into?”

 

**|**

 

  ** _Year 108 - February 26 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_**

 

**|**

 

 **Hachimitsu** whimpered as she slowly woke up, her head throbbing violently and stomach churning a little. There was a shift from the body next to her, and the arm around her (naked?) torso tightened, before Shisui’s sleepy voice asked lowly, “Hachi?” She let out a long hiss as even that sent a sharp spike of pain through her head, curling into the Uchiha and hiding her face against his (bare?) chest. Shisui petted her back in silent apology.

The assassin struggled to form a coherent thought, trying to piece together what the _hell_ had happened yesterday that left her with such a nightmare of a migraine. There was faint buzzing in the back of her head beneath the pain, and something - something else? Something _familiar._ Another sharp pain burst behind her eyes and the thought vanished. She let out another whimper, trying to hide away in the Uchiha’s neck.

Shisui cautiously moved his hands so they were cradling the back of her head, slowly carding his fingers through her hair to try and soothe the pain away. The two simply laid like that for a while, before the throbbing in her head eventually eased, and as if sensing that, Shisui asked quietly, “How did you get chakra overload?”

“Chakra _overload?”_ Hachimitsu asked incredulously, before pausing and thinking about it. She had woken up yesterday morning rather - energized, she supposed was apt enough. Actually, everyone in the Compound had been rather chipper and she was fairly sure her youngest brother had been cackling about something by the time she’d wandered into the kitchen. Her dad had seemed rather baffled, but she hadn’t really taken any note of it, instead heading out to find Shisui; she had been -

“Oh,” she mumbled. Well, that explained why they were naked together. “But how?”

_Ha-chi!_

The assassin startled, sitting up suddenly, making Shisui flail as he was nearly pushed off the bed. _Haachi! Hachi! Hachi! I know you can hear me!_ “Shuu- _chan?_ What?” the kunoichi muttered, clutching at her head as it swam dangerously.

It was like a mental poke, and her twin’s voice whined, _Haachiii!_

Let it not be said that Hachimitsu was _stupid._ Frowning and closing her eyes, the assassin poked the area that Panther- _chan_ was crouched in front of with a curious look. _Shuu-chan?_

There was a cheer, and the assassin got the distinct impression of her twin clapping her hands excitedly. _What did you_ do? Hachimitsu asked.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 108 - February 26 - Haran Bay - Frost Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **Shuukaku** made an affronted face, and pouted, _I didn’t do anything! It was all Nibi-sama!_

Zabuza stared at the redheaded woman, mechanically eating the breakfast Haku and the blonde brat had managed to make. Red had been making faces with her eyes closed for the past ten minutes, and it was terrifyingly fascinating.

“Is - is Shuu- _nee_ alright?” the small redhead whispered to the blonde brat.

“She’s fine, _un,”_ Deidara answered, expression utterly unfazed in the face of his _senpai’s_ weirdness. He had honestly seen worse, and he wasn’t sure anything could really top her being able to see and interact with _ghosts._

Shuukaku didn’t come out of whatever state she was in until breakfast had been finished, cleaned up, and the camp was on its way to being packed up. “Ugh,” she grumbled, stretching and running a hand through her hair. “Stupid sister.”

“Done being weird as fuck, Red?” Zabuza asked drily, hooking his blade to his back - and trying not to think of the fact that the other _nuke-nin_ had sought him out in a vulnerable state and trusted him to look after her brats. He had debated it enough over and over in his head last night while the woman was sleeping.

The woman scowled, and flapped a hand carelessly, “Pot, kettle, lovely.” She patted Karin on the head as she passed the girl, tugging lightly on Deidara’s ponytail, and even touched Haku’s shoulder briefly, as she made her way towards her fellow _nuke-nin._

Zabuza eyed her cautiously, unsure what to make of the look in her eyes - gold this time, but pupils no longer blown completely wide - and he stilled as she stopped in front of him and reached out with her hand -

\- and tugged him down to inches from her face.

There was a strangled noise from behind them but the swordsman wasn’t paying it any attention, focused on Shuukaku’s expression that had - become unbearably soft and made his chest tighten and mind recoil violently - there were emotions in her expression that made him want to cut into her and leave her for dead so he didn’t have to ever see them again -

\- emotions that caught in his chest and it was sheer willpower alone that kept his breathing steady.

This wasn’t the casual sexual flirting they’d taken up as they kept seeing each other, though they had yet to actually bed one another, not with Haku and Deidara with them - and it made him unbalanced, the sheer _depth_ he could see in her gaze - her expression -

He didn’t know what kind of expression he was making - but whatever she saw in his face, made her lips curl in a half smile that had his gut churning and instead of the kiss he’d been half-way expecting ( _hoping,_ something whispered from somewhere deep in his mind that he refused to acknowledge -) she pressed their cheeks together, her lips curling back slightly and a fang scraping across skin.

She had pulled away and wandered back to the brats before he could react and - he refused to acknowledge the disappointment, burying it with his usual irritation.

Zabuza couldn’t help but note that for once the blonde brat didn’t say a word about the interaction.

“Shuu- _nee,_ are you better now?” Karin asked, voice worried and she pressed herself along the other redhead’s side, clutching at her obi. The smaller Uzumaki was surprised as she was easily lifted up into the older woman’s arms, a nose pressing against her hair and inhaling deeply. Karin locked her arms around Shuukaku’s neck, confused but willing to accept the cuddle.

“I’m all better now, _koneko,”_ Shuukaku responded, some of her usual cheer in her voice - and Karin was still too young to realize that something significant had just happened between her older sister and the strange man they’d gone to. Shuukaku took one last inhale of the younger’s hair, imprinting her scent to memory all over again, and relaxing in the scent of comfort and home.

There was a slight nudge in her mind from her sister - just the barest impression rather than actual words - and Shuukaku merely sent a burst of reassurance back. There was skepticism from her twin, but … Shuukaku didn’t want to talk about what had just happened, and her reluctance must have bled through the newly established bond, for her twin subsided, though there was a definite feeling of ‘we’ll be talking about this _later.’_

The _kunoichi_ set Karin back onto the ground, and grinned, shoving her emotions away and focusing on her kittens instead, “Have you finished packing everything up? I think we’ll be heading out again, now that I’m not punch drunk.”

Deidara made an offended noise, shoving his shoulder against her arm - his own reassurance and when had he gotten taller, she wondered - “It’s your own fault for getting punch drunk, _un,”_ he said pointedly, tying his pouch of clay around his waist.

“Brat,” she retorted fondly, smoothing her hand over his head, and then tugging lightly at his ponytail. She cast a brief glance around the camp to make sure she hadn’t somehow managed to leave something behind, even though she hadn’t unpacked anything of her own - and seeing nothing turned her attention to Haku, who was looking rather confused and unsure.

She smiled at the boy - gut clenching slightly in that she couldn’t claim him as _hers_ \- and asked, “How’s the writing practice going, Haku- _kun?”_

She could deal with it.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 108 - March 5 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **Senka** frowned silently down at the scroll in her hand, re-reading the mission parameters and feeling uneasy about them. She couldn’t find anything overtly wrong about them, but something was tugging at her about them. However, she couldn’t refuse the mission - she’d been assigned to it.

The blonde let out a silent sigh of vague frustration and set the scroll down on the table, sealed once more, and heading for her room to grab her mission gear and change into actual mission clothes. Shouhei didn’t seem to be in the shared apartment, so she’d have to leave without saying goodbye, but she left a note on table - certain her teammate would find it whenever he made it back.

The mission itself was only a retrieval - but since it was in enemy territory, no matter the tentative truce, it was a higher level and she would be by herself, with no chance of backup. If she was caught, there would be no one sent to retrieve her.

She could admit to being uneasy - she had been assigned, even though there were better retrieval experts in the village, but she could not refuse the Hokage.

The blonde _kunoichi_ left her note on the table, and left the village proper, heading for Earth Country.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 108 - March 10 - Fire Capitol - Fire Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **It** was difficult to miss the Hyuuga in the Royal Court, but until recently Masumi hadn’t had much, if anything, to do with them. Unlike the Oden Clan, that had multiple names from marriage or had threads from far back and weren’t recognized by the Clan name anymore, the Hyuuga were more obvious and prominent in their place in the Courts.

Masumi hid the lower half of her face with her fan, eyes glancing over the two Hyuuga members present before sliding her attention back to the proceedings. Her husband was at her side, the vocal part of their pair - but she was permitted to speak when she so wished. She split her attention between the proceedings and the Hyuuga, curious to see if her cousins had sparked anything different.

She couldn’t say how often the Hyuuga of the Court interacted with the Hyuuga of Konoha, but there had to be at least some direction - her Clan couldn’t be the only one that kept ties with their family in Konohagakure. Masumi could admit to being eager to find out - and what kind of chaos could result.

The young woman hummed quietly, and returned her full attention to Court, eyes glittering with intrigue.

Court ended with the Daimyo thoughtful, and Masumi had many plans filtering around in her brain, eager to bear fruit and plant roots. She brushed her fingers along Ichirou’s arm, giving him a deliberate look from behind her fan, and he gave her a fond smile, squeezing her fingers briefly, before leaving her side.

“Pardon my intrusion, Hyuuga- _sama,_ Hyuuga- _sama,”_ Masumi began as she slipped next to the two Hyuuga of Court, falling into step with them, and closing her fan with a sharp ‘snick’. Both of them gave her nods of respect, and she gave them a painted smile. “May I have a moment of your time?”

The woman of the duo slipped her hands into her sleeves, and returned the smile with a blank face, “How may we be of service, Minamoto- _dono?”_ Her counterpoint remained silent, and Masumi noted that there was something … off about the man’s blank face. She tapped her fan against her chin and let out a soft hum.

“I wanted to ask if you have been in touch with your village bound clansmen?” she responded, concern filtering in her voice as she continued, “I seem to remember there was an incident with the Clan Heiress? And Kumogakure?”

Masumi noted that the other woman’s eyes narrowed, brow tightening slightly - but the man remained blank face, not even a twitch. She could’ve brushed it off as a truly excellent mask, but her gut told her differently. “Yes, there was an … _incident_ with Kumogakure a few years back,” the Hyuuga woman replied, voice cool and underlined with anger. “But there was some good in recent years, as one thought dead was returned to us intact.”

Her voice had softened at the mention of what was no doubt Hyuuga Hizashi, but - her companion’s lips tightened miniscule and Masumi felt the cold shiver of anger crawl down her spine. Her fan snapped back open, hiding her down turned lips. Why would a Hyuuga be angry that one of their clansmen had been returned alive?

“That’s a relief,” Masumi returned. “I had been afraid what might have happened if things had not been resolved as they had. We have no need for another war.”

Another twitch from the man, and Masumi kept her face from giving anything of her notice away. There was definitely something going on with the other Court Hyuuga - something that left her with the impression that it had something to do with her dear cousin.

“An opinion not often spoken of in the Courts as of late,” the other woman frowned, looking disquieted from the observation being said out loud.

And it was the truth.

Peace was being hidden in the name of war and more and more of the Court members were murmuring of injustices that - as far as Masumi could find - were not actually factual or had something … fishy about it that she couldn’t quite figure out. It had proven to be very frustrating, as the voices were getting stronger as the months wore on.

Even Shuukaku’s name had been brought up numerous times as of late, and that had her skin crawling and agitation bristling.

“Do we not fight for a better peace?”

The words were measured and held no inflection, only the barest amount of true question in them - and Masumi peered over her fan at the other Hyuuga. There was the slightest furrow to his brow, and she got the sense that he was genuinely baffled by the implication that what was being spoken in the Courts of late was not a good thing to them.

She snapped her fan closed, and gave him a painted smile, “That is a question better answered behind closed doors, Hyuuga- _sama._ Perhaps you should join me for tea in the near future?” There was the slightest hesitation, before the male Hyuuga inclined his head in agreement, and Masumi felt a curl of vicious satisfaction in the agreement.

 

**|**

 

 **Her** cousin was lounging on the floor eating a bowl of what seemed to be her stash of strawberries when she arrived back to her home after Court, and Masumi felt her brow twitch. “You know, I had those stashed away for a _reason,_ Shuu- _nee,”_ she pointed out crossly, and barely refrained from chucking her fan at the kunoichi’s head.

“You should have hidden them better then,” Shuukaku replied idly, tipping her head back to look at her cousin with a curling smile. There was an air of fatigue over the woman, and Masumi frowned internally at the fact she could actually _tell_ her cousin was tired.

She shed most of her layers, placing them over the back of the couch in the room and settled on the floor next to her cousin, and taking one of the strawberries, “I suppose I can blame you for the fact I can faintly feel the Clan in the back of my head now?”

Shuukaku shifted and then curled herself until she had her head on her cousin’s lap and was looking up at her with lazy eyes. “Not _technically_ \- it was all Nibi- _sama’s_ fault.” Masumi supposed she should just be thankful that it hadn’t been a Court day and her husband had been more than willing to spend the whole day in bed with her.

“My apologies then,” she responded with instead, tone entirely dry. Her cousin merely hummed idly and - Masumi felt her gut curl with worry. Shuukaku very rarely showed how she was truly feeling unless it was mischief and - the last time Masumi had _heard_ (not seen - she hadn’t _been there_ when the shit hit the fan - wasn’t there for her Clan and - it ached and burned - stoked the spark of anger that hovered under the skin of every Oden -) of Shuukaku being this lackadaisical had been when _he_ had left -

But - there was nothing Masumi could do to soothe her cousin. She wasn’t Hachi- _nee_ or Masuyo- _ba_ or _jii-chan._

She carded her fingers through Shuukaku’s hair and asked lightly, “And what brought you here to eat my strawberries, Shuu- _nee?”_

It took a lot longer than Masumi expected for the redhead to respond - and it made Masumi want to rage at the village - to tear through the people responsible for doing this to her family - to ripping out a beloved member of their Clan and forcing an unwanted label - for _murdering_ kin -

She tempered the rage with an icy calmness, never stopping the movement of her fingers - something that Shuukaku had leaned into with a quiet underlying desperation that almost had Masumi tipping over that point -

“It occurred to me recently that you may be able to solve a problem I’ve been looking for an answer to,” the redhead finally answered, a low unsteady purr rumbling in her chest. Masumi made a soft inquiring noise, even as she began mentally writing a scathing letter to the Hokage and wondering if she could get away with assassinating the man in the process of them taking over the village.

“An … outside source has been meddling in Wind Country’s economics, undermining Sunagakure’s ties with the Daimyo,” Shuukaku elaborated, voice low and eyes closed at the continued ministrations of her cousin.

Masumi blinked harshly - the only sign of her shock at the news - before her brow furrowed with displeasure instead, eyes narrowing. “And I presume that undermining is pushing in Konohagakure’s favor?” she hissed lowly, outrage underlying her voice. She didn’t give her cousin time to respond, mind already creating and discarding various plans, before she mused, “I suppose Ichirou and I could go visit a mutual friend of ours that would be interested in some - hmm - _fun_ \- if we happen to discuss politics while we’re visiting, well.”

She was stupidly proud at the husky laugh she drew from the redhead in her lap, preening slightly as lazy golden hued eyes looked up at her again, glittering with mischief ( _though not as bright as usual,_ her mind hissed angrily). “Try not to get pregnant by the wrong man, cousin mine,” Shuukaku chuffed in amusement.

Masumi let out a light laugh in response.

 

**|**

 

**_Year 108 - March 23 - Sunagakure - Wind Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **Rasa** was beginning to regret ever taking the hat of Kage - and it was taking every effort he had in his body to keep his face completely flat as the council continued to bicker in front of him. There had been some changes since last year and what had gone from his greatest mistake to his greatest asset - but frustratingly enough the changes were slow and difficult, and it was because of the old bats on the council.

Unwittingly, the Kazekage’s brow twitched in irritation.

Kazuki was a silent shadow on his left, face hidden behind the stark black mask of a crow and dark hood, eyes shielded and keeping his identity hidden. Rasa envied him the slightest bit and was half way tempted to throw his arms in the air and give the brat the hat instead and let him _deal_ with all of this - this - _bullshit._

(he was also half-way tempted to call upon the Uzumaki in his blood and do something utterly outrageous and fuck the consequences -)

There was a barest shift next to him, and Rasa tilted the offending hat further down to hide his face, as Kazuki murmured, “We could just assassinate them all and replace them with younger people with more _sense,_ if you so desire, Kazekage- _sama.”_

Rasa barely contained the startled laugh that wished to escape (so unusual because not even six months ago he would have felt deep rage at even the _suggestion_ of such and toyed with the thought of killing the young man - but no - not anymore). “Watch your mouth, _Crow_ , or I may just give in to my musings and give _you_ the hat,” he murmured lowly back.

“ _Kami-sama_ preserve me,” the shinobi muttered, voice horrified. “ _Don’t.”_

“Does Kazekage- _sama_ have something he’d wish to share with the rest of the council?” a bordering snide voice broke their low conversation, and Rasa rolled his eyes before he tilted his hat back up, face once again smoothed out.

The room had fallen silent at the query, all eyes on the Kazekage and his guard and - Rasa found his patience very much worn to its last thread. He blinked blandly at the councilor that had spoken, and then arched one brow slowly. “I was merely contemplating the benefits of having you all assassinated and having you replaced by a smarter generation,” he stated flatly.

Ignoring the outraged and scandalized looks on the council’s face, Rasa continued blandly, “But alas, that would unfortunately mean that many beneficial ways of shinobi would be lost to Suna, and I do not wish to weaken my nation more than it already _is.”_

Rasa hadn’t quite realized how much pent up rage had been building up inside of him until his words grew sharper and sharper - and he found he quite frankly didn’t give a damn. He inhaled deeply and then stood, placing his hands on the table and leaning forward, eyes narrowed in a devastating glare, and he began lowly, voice icy, “I have about had it with the bullshit in this room, counselors. If you do not start getting your heads out of your asses, I _will_ find a Yamanaka willing to rip out the information in your heads and get rid of _every one of you_ and replace you with a younger, more _sensible_ generation.”

He took another breath, leaning back from the table, and adjusted his robes slightly, and finished, “Now. My children are waiting for their father to eat dinner with them, and I am going to damn well do that without being _late_ for once.”

With his piece said, he spun on his heel and swept out of the room, _Crow_ a silent shadow in his steps - and unbeknownst to him, the young man had undone the small sealing that hid an ANBU’s eyes to reveal the gleaming yellow that was a trademark of their beloved Third Kazekage.

Leaving a shocked council believing they were seeing a ghost.

 

**|**

 

 **“Please** tell me you won’t actually give me that damn hat, Rasa,” Kazuki demanded as he and the other man stepped past the threshold of the Amatsuto family compound.

Rasa rolled his eyes, but his lips quirked into a small smirk, “As much as I would love to do that, no I will not, Kazuki.”

“Oh, thank fuck,” the younger man breathed, and Rasa gave him a side glare for the language, but Kazuki was unrepentant. The kids would hear far worse later in life and it wasn’t like he was being indecent of some such rot - besides Rasa had no room to talk. Kazuki remembered his genin days _very_ clearly, thank you very much.

As they drew closer to the dining hall, there was the distinct sounds of chatter - and Kazuki could even hear Gaara, who sounded rather excited - an unusual occurrence for the rather soft spoken and shy child. Kankuro sounded like he was arguing with someone, who wasn’t Temari and that had Kazuki sharing a startled and wary look with Rasa.

The two men silently hastened their steps and even if neither of them sensed any kind of danger - and Kazuki could sense his former teammate in the room - they were not expecting any kind of guests for dinner - they stepped into the dining room and Kazuki blinked, while Rasa went rigid next to him.   

Gaara was at the table with paper and ink spread out on the table in front of him and a redhead girl that looked to be around more of Kankuro’s age sitting next to him and showing him something on the paper. Kankuro was on the other side of the table arguing with a blonde boy - girl? - about - eyeliner? Temari, on the other hand, was talking with an all too familiar red-haired woman at the head of the table, Sadao on the other side of her looking calmly amused and -

“...Uzumaki,” Rasa managed to say, voice utterly flat, but Kazuki could hear the faint disbelief, though it sounded rather resigned.

Rasa had not expected to see the woman again - and yet it didn’t surprise him she was here. He’d had a long time to wrap his head around his own family tree when he’d finally been able to grieve for Karura and place his focus and attention back on his family again. He’d visited the family archives, digging out the family tree his grandfather had brought with him - or so his grandmother had said.

But the preserved state of the scroll, and the swirling ink indicated she had spoken the truth.

Rasa’s grandmother had been a fierce woman and had loved her husband with a ferocious intensity that now reminded him fondly of his own love for his late wife - understanding now the air that had surrounded his grandmother whenever she had spoken about her husband. The Amatsuto Clan had been family oriented even before Haroushi Tatsuya had brought his Uzushio ways into the family - but with Rasa, his children, and Kazuki being the only ones left of the Clan -

Well, he had done a lot of soul searching and thinking in the past months and while he didn’t know exactly who Uzumaki Shuukaku was - there was no mistaking she _was_ an Uzumaki - one without a family and now - he couldn’t -

The chatter stopped as all eyes moved to the two men in the doorway, and Uzumaki Shuukaku gave them both a wide, fanged grin and returned, “Cousin.”

Rasa’s brow twitched, and Kazuki almost thought the man was going to try and get the woman to leave, but instead he simply moved to the other end of the table and poured himself a cup of a tea and began sipping it calmly. Kazuki shrugged and moved to see what Gaara and the other redhead were up to. “Will you be staying awhile?” Rasa inquired drily.

Shuukaku shrugged, leaning back on her hands and still grinning, “Depends - do you plan on kicking me out?”

The kids remained silent, sensing the sudden tension in the air and Kazuki noted that Gaara was biting his lip and looking like he wanted to immediately protest the very idea. Rasa was silent for the moment, expression inscrutable, before he sighed. “No - I will not,” he finally said, gaze meeting the woman’s and Kazuki felt like he missed something entirely as the two stared at each other for one long agonizing moment.

Then Uzumaki ducked her head in a nod, smile turning into something less wild and dangerous, “My thanks, cousin.”

 

**|**

 

 **Shuukaku** hadn’t realized she had been making for Sunagakure until they’d hit the desert, but she had continued on her way, nonetheless. It wasn’t until she had found herself at a compound that reeked of Gaara’s scent and had _Uzumaki_ seals carved in the wood that she understood _why._

Gaara had greeted her enthusiastically - ecstatic that she had kept her promise to visit him again and, though shy at first, had been rather eager to meet her kittens. Karin had latched onto the other redhead with a fierce intensity that made her heart ache with longing, but she ignored it and set the two up at the table with paper and ink and had them practicing their writing. Deidara had been wary, not having been with her the last time she’d been in Sunagakure, but Gaara’s brother had managed to get into an argument with the blonde over eyeliner rather fast -

Shuukaku had only been surprised when the Kazekage’s children’s guard and babysitter hadn’t made any attack against her. Sadao smelled like Kazuki - but that didn’t mean the man shared his teammate’s opinions - but the heavily scarred man had only given her a bland smile and told her he’d rather not make Gaara mad at him.

Then Rasa had come home - with Kazuki - and Shuukaku had worried the man would kick her out -  try to kill her - _something_ -

...but he didn’t.

Had let her stay and -

She slipped into the shadows, tracing the old Uzumaki carvings of protection, white chakra sparking at her fingertips. The air gained a slight charge as she charged the seals, the weakened markings eating at her chakra hungrily and lighting up as they strengthened. She could tell it had been a long time since an Uzumaki had come to this place.

“The last person to do that was my great-grandmother,” Rasa informed her, tone neutral. She didn’t turn to acknowledge him, having sensed him long before he’d come up behind her.

She stayed silent as she traced another seal, and then finally replied, “You could do it yourself - it only requires an Uzumaki.” Rasa hummed non-committedly, and she said nothing else. They remained silent in the night air as she wandered the compound and recharged the seals left untended. She was charging the final seal, when she finally spoke, “You will have to remind those old bats what the village stands for before you try to say such things again.”

The kunoichi turned glowing eyes on the Kazekage, but he merely returned the gaze calmly, head tilted in a silent motion to continue her advice. She eyed him quietly and then did as silently asked, “Remind them of their own families - the ones that still live and the ones that _don’t._ I would even go as far as having them visit the academy and teach the kittens.”

She turned her gaze away from him - turning it instead to the clear skies above them, moonlight glimmering against the sand. “They are the future, and they should be guided, not smothered,” she murmured, voice slightly bitter and memories she didn’t like to dwell on were coming back - ( _long fingers gently adjusting her position - the sibilant voice murmuring instructions - inky black locks twisted and coiled and -)_

“Your Daimyo should be in touch with you soon, cousin,” she said abruptly, spinning to face him with a wide grin and gold eyes. “Take the opportunity to show what your village can _do.”_

 

**|**

 

 **“When** is Shuu- _nee_ gonna wake up?”

Shuukaku grumbled and buried her face further into her pillow, reluctant to pry her consciousness to full wakefulness - but at the same time it was her kitten’s voice - there was a soft shushing noise and a muffled giggle, and the redhead heard the door slowly slide open and the soft pads of two pairs of feet. She cracked one eye open and - it was Gaara and Karin.

The kunoichi hid a smile and once the two redheads were within arm’s reach - she surged forward and grabbed both of them and pulled them back down onto the bed, “And what makes you two wish to disturb my precious sleep, hmmm?”

Karin yelped as she was grabbed and pulled down, before exploding into a fit of giggles - Gaara had looked shocked and unsure, but at the young girl’s laughter, his own bubbled up to the surface. “We want to learn seals, Shuu- _nee!”_ Karin exclaimed amongst her giggles, even as she snuggled into Shuukaku’s side.

She pulled the girl in closer, an amused grin tugging at her lips, and looked down at Gaara with amused eyes, “Is that so?”

Gaara peered up at her shyly, and answered, “If that’s okay?”

Shuukaku huffed out a soft laugh and rubbed her cheek against the top of the boy’s head, “It’s more than, kitten.” She inhaled his scent for a moment, letting it soothe her, before she sat up, bringing the two up with her and asked cheerfully, “Would you like to help me get dressed in _kimono?”_

Karin squirmed out of Shuukaku’s grip, a wide grin on her face, and she asked, “Should I get Dei- _chan?”_ Shuukaku huffed out another laugh, sitting up and pulling Gaara onto her lap and eyeing Karin with a fond gaze.

“Why not? I feel like playing, _koneko,”_ the older woman purred lazily. “If he hasn’t already gotten ready for the day, tell him I’ll do his eyeliner. Gaara- _chan_ can stay here and help me choose a _kimono.”_ Karin bobbed her head eagerly and scrambled off the futon and out of the room, bolting for the room Deidara had been set up in. Shuukaku watched her go with a quiet pang - remembering her baby cousins and all the mischief they got into while the older kids and the adults laughed.

She shook the thoughts away and peered down at Gaara, who was looking a little wide eyed and confused, and gave him a little squeeze and said, “Let’s see what I have, yes?” Gaara peered up at her in faint confusion and then nodded, patting at her arm around him. She smiled, and then shifted their positions and then swiped her thumb over one of the seals on her arm.

There was a brief flare of chakra and then the _kimono_ she’d collected appeared on the bed, folded neatly and in an array of colors. There was a deep red one trimmed in gold, a turquoise one with a darker wave pattern, another red themed one, but it was faded into oranges and purples, imitating a sunset - and the last one was - it was a deep, dark purple, trimmed in black, but with glimmering silver stitched snakes set in a pattern.

Shuukaku stared at the last _kimono_ \- she hadn’t - she -

( _pale fingers adjusting her obi - sibilant words in cultured tones - silken hair brushing the top of her head - longer and longer periods of absence - where - why - n o - this isn’t_ right -)

“Shuu- _nee?_ I like this one,” Gaara said softly, breaking the woman from her spiraling thoughts and she had to swallow around her suddenly dry throat. The little redhead in her lap was pointing at the sunset _kimono,_ and she forced her lips into a smile.

“That’s a good choice, _koneko,”_ she managed to get out steadily.

Gaara reached out and brushed his fingers over the material gently, saying, “It reminds me of the sunsets here. They’re pretty.” Shuukaku sucked into a shaky breath, and sealed the other _kimono_ back in her seal, half hoping not seeing the purple _kimono_ would get rid of the nausea in her stomach but - it didn’t. Before she could continue to dwell on her dark thoughts, her door slid open once more and Karin bounced in giggling and dragging both Deidara and Kankuro behind her.

Shuukaku blinked and then - Temari was trailing behind the three, looking curious, but trying not to _look_ like she was. The redhead felt her smile ease into something more natural and Ghost rumbled lowly in the back of her mind. “Well now,” she rumbled, amused - and Deidara pouted, while Kankuro looked embarrassed.

She laughed, and then got to her feet, setting Gaara down on her futon, and then motioned for Karin and Temari, “Why don’t you two come help get this on? Then you can help me show the boys how to tie the obi.” Karin followed her eagerly behind the screen in the room, while Temari followed a bit more hesitantly.

It took a bit to get the fabrics on, showing the two girls how to tie everything together properly. It wasn’t the traditional _kimono,_ rather it was a variant that wasn’t quite as layered and didn’t restrict her movements like a traditional _kimono_ would - if she ever needed to she could easily fight in the garments, and that seemed to fascinate Temari.

The girl’s excitement, and Gaara’s fascination as she showed them how to tie the obi, eased some of her uneasiness at wearing this specific kind of _kimono_ again - but the memories were still lurking silently in the back of her mind, hissing in bitter loneliness and -

“Come here, Dei- _chan,”_ she laughed at the disgruntled blonde. The teen rolled his eyes but moved to sit in front of her as she pulled out her brush and kohl. She gave him a soft smile, and his shoulders slumped from their defensive state, and he closed his eyes. Gaara was at her elbow, eyes wide with fascination, and Kankuro was inching closer, trying and failing to feign disinterest.

Shuukaku hid her amusement and dipped her brush and began tracing the careful lines for Deidara’s liner. She was tempted to pull out all of the makeup she’d managed to round up as she’d travelled, but she - she wasn’t quite ready to try that again, even if she had all the items now. The last person she’d done full makeup for had been _Hachi._

“Can I get a _kimono?”_

The question pulled Shuukaku from her thoughts and she grinned. “Of course, Dei- _chan,_ we can go shopping for one later.” She finished the last tail of her line, and brushed her thumb along the blonde’s cheekbone before she let her hand fall and she grinned down at Gaara, “You want some, _koneko?”_ The boy nodded so fast, for a moment she was afraid he’d get whiplash.

She laughed instead, and the kid moved into Deidara’s previous spot, the blonde taking the now vacant spot next to her. She grinned down at Gaara, and then tipped his head up and said, “Close your eyes, _koneko.”_ As she traced the cat line on the boy, she blinked and then glanced over at Temari and Kankuro, and then let out another laugh.

“You all inherited the Haroushi eyes,” she laughed, eyes crinkling with humor. It was no wonder Izumi looked like she could’ve been from Sunagakure.

“Haroushi?” Temari questioned, confusion evident, and Shuukaku quirked an eyebrow. She finished the last line for Gaara, who blinked and also looked at her in question. She nudged him over to Deidara, and then Karin was in front of her, eyes close and nose scrunched up.

Shuukaku began working on the other redhead’s eyes, and answered, “Yes - I believe it was your … great-grandfather’s line. He came from Uzushio and married into your family, but he is how I am related to you. His mother was an Uzumaki.”

“We’re _related_ to you?” Kankuro sputtered, looking half-scandalized.

Shuukaku gave him an amused look, and answered, “Distantly, but yes. Have you not wondered where the seals around your home came from? The sealers from here are certainly not the ones who did them. Temari, would you like me to do your eyes, as well?”

The blonde girl looked thrown at the offer, biting her lip and glancing at the door and then her brothers - and then nodded and took Karin’s place in front of the woman. Kankuro’s brow was furrowed, face scrunched up in thought. Temari thought it was a bit obvious that the seals on their home didn’t come from Sunagakure - they certainly never used spirals - but she never would’ve guessed they came from Uzushio.

“Is that why _otousan_ and Gaara have red hair?” Kankuro asked, eyeing her own hair. Shuukaku hummed and nodded, brushing in the last line and then looked over at the boy, cocking her head to the side as she studied him. He had inherited more of the Sunagakure side of genes, hair and skin dark, but the eyes and face shape were completely Haroushi.

He was looked back at her suspiciously, and she grinned and then offered, “Do you want me to show you some of the Haroushi War Faces?”

If anything, he looked only more suspicious, and Deidara rolled his eyes and told the other boy drily, “It’s war paint designs, _un._ She’s offering to teach you some of your Clan’s ways.” Kankuro puffed up, looking ready to spit something back, but he stopped - and then deflated, glaring at the blonde confusedly.

He did get the paints done.

  


**|**

 

**_Year 108 - April 14 - Yonaguni - Tea Country_ **

 

**|**

 

 **Yuma** frowned silently down at the map in his hands - it was marked excessively with ink, lines and x’s and he’d only added more since he’d begun his search a couple months ago. He wasn’t entirely sure how’d he had ended up in Tea Country, but Yonaguni was a sea port town, decent in size and population, and Shuukaku had told him that last she’d followed the trail she had, it had been heading for the ocean - but that had been in a completely different country.

The shinobi sighed and rubbed at his forehead, folding the map back up and slipping it in his pouch. He wasn’t a tracker, but he could spot patterns and - well, it hadn’t taken him long to spot the pattern that Uzumaki Haruki had been unwittingly followed. He wasn’t sure how Shuukaku had missed such an obvious pattern, but he suspected something was going on with the woman.

Deidara had noticed it too, but Yuma suspected the kid had no idea what it was or how to deal with, so was simply treating Shuukaku as he normally would. Yuma didn’t know enough about the other _nuke-nin’s_ life and Clan to make any educated guesses on what seemed to be bothering her - but he got the feeling that there wasn’t something he _could_ do beyond what he already was.

“Fuck, I need alcohol,” he muttered irritably, scrubbing at his face hard before heading for the nearest bar.

He slunk into the bar and settled at the counter, ordering a bottle of sake rather than anything harder, not in the mood to get shit faced. He tugged his medical mask down around his neck and drank his first cup before staring at it pensively, contemplating his next move.

“- _sama,_ please,” a voice was saying as the cloth was lifted from the entrance, and Yuma flicked his gaze over idly, and then nearly swallowed his tongue.

“Hush, Shizune- _chan,”_ an irritated voice grumbled, before calling out, “A bottle of sake!”

 _Fuck me,_ Yuma thought despairingly, knocking back a cup of sake and wondering if he should try and make a break for it. He really didn’t want to find out what Senju Tsunade would do to him if she discovered he was here - especially since he was _nuke-nin_ for sure now.

Much to his horror the busty blonde kunoichi settled just a seat away, looking at the bartender impatiently for her bottle of sake, and a slim, dark haired kunoichi slipped onto the stool on the other side of Tsunade, looking rather disgruntled, and a pig, of all things, settled at her feet. _Fuck me hard - kami-sama why this,_ Yuma whined in his head, debating on making an attempt to drown himself in his sake.

Maybe if he pretended he wasn’t here, he’d be able to make an escape without her notice -

“Well, if it isn’t Kasamatsu- _chan.”_

So much for that.

 

**|**

 

 ** _Year 108 - April 19 - Konohagakure - Fire Country_** ****  
  
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 **Hachimitsu** sat in the middle of her twin’s room - the letter from Masumi lying on the ground next to her - (it demanded to know what was wrong with Shuukaku and then continued on to say it was damn well lucky she was heading for Sunagakure or Sarutobi would be assassinated in his sleep -). Hachimitsu wasn’t sure why going to Sunagakure was stopping her cousin from sending an assassin.

It would be easy enough to hire a shinobi from Suna to assassinate the Hokage - but it would mess up the current plans of taking over, since Tsunade had to be willing to come back to Konoha.

Though, if Masumi was serious about killing Sarutobi- _sama,_ she was going to have to get in line.

Scowling at nothing, Hachimitsu wished time travelling seals weren’t so frustrating to make and deal with - if they were she could use one to go kick herself in the ass for not taking over the village when Shuukaku was kicked out. ( _could go back and save Nishiki, Kushina-kaa-sensei -_ ) Sure, if she could it wouldn’t be as stable as it would be now, but -

Shuukaku would be _home_ \- home with the _clan_ -

She _needed_ the clan - Hachimitsu could _feel_ it through the new bond Nibi- _sama_ had gifted them - Shuukaku was silently falling apart being alone and it tore at her heart - a muffled whine left the assassin’s throat.

Maybe if her twin had a mate with her - not just the _konekos_ \- she would be more stable but - again that was wishing time travel seals were _easier._

What made it all the worse was that Hachimitsu couldn’t _do_ anything about it - even _with_ the new bond!

The anger bubbled back up in her stomach and Panther- _chan_ snarled in her mind, pacing furiously and fur standing on end - it took her a moment to quell the anger. It had gotten her kicked out of the ANBU medical for the day because she was terrifying the patients too much.

There had been some murmurs about it being her ‘time of the month’ - which had gotten silenced swiftly, but it had only served as a reminder that she had _missed_ her period. She hadn’t missed one since she’d started them years before - and with being a medical shinobi she could test herself, rather than going to someone else and -

She was only a month and half along since she knew the exact date she would have conceived - or rather gotten the necessary sperm donation _to_ conceive on that date.

Maybe she could go to Kumogakure and smack Nibi- _sama_ over the head for being the main cause of so many of her current problems.

Frustrated tears welled up in her eyes as she glared down at her still rather flat stomach. She wasn’t overly annoyed about having a kitten - it was just the damn _timing._ She wouldn’t be sharing the information of her pregnancy for another few months, except for her mother, and Shuukaku (if she ever bothered to contact her again -).

“Hachi? Why are you sitting in Shuu- _chan’s_ room?”

The assassin startled slightly and looked up to see her mother standing in the doorway, eyebrow quirked in question (- the corners of her eyes were tight - there were new stress lines - she didn’t allow her gaze to wander the room - one of her kittens was _hurting - and she couldn’t do anything about it -)_.

Hachimitsu huffed, “I saw a white snakeskin today.”

Masuyo paused, brow furrowing and there was a swirl of bitter and frustrated emotions crossing her face before she schooled into a mildly curious expression instead. She walked over to her eldest daughter, keeping her gaze studiously on her rather than the room (-even as the now stale scent of her _other_ daughter filtered into her senses - and it _ached -)_. “So?” she queried. “Why does that have you sitting in Shuu- _chan’s_ room looking like you’re plotting murder?”

“There are _several_ people I would like murder,” Hachimitsu grumbled, pressing herself against her mother’s leg, and battling the frustrated tears back, and inhaling the older woman’s scent. It did little to soothe her hurt - Shuukaku’s scent wasn’t there _too_ \- “And it’s annoying that I _can’t_ do so.”

Masuyo sighed, and then patted her daughter’s head and started a low, humming purr as she began stroking the dark locks. Hachimitsu leaned further into the touch and continued, “I feel like I’m forgetting something - like Shuu- _chan_ told me something _important_ and I _forgot_ it.”

The hand stroking her paused, and after several silent seconds, Masuyo asked lowly, “Forgetting something? Do you think - I can check you over for a memory seal.”

Hachimitsu rumbled a low growl, but it wasn’t directed at her mother. “Go ahead, but I’m pretty sure you won’t find one,” she huffed irritably. “I already did a scan and -”

Masuyo sent her chakra flowing through her daughter - searching out any kind of anomaly or misstep - “And?” she probed, when her daughter didn’t finish.

“It’s - I feel like it’s Shuu- _chan -_ like _she’s_ the one forgetting something,” Hachimitsu continued, frustration building back up again and her head throbbed just behind her eyes, making her hiss lowly. “I think - I think it’s leaking through the bond and - and that white snakeskin was a _clue.”_ Her mother’s chakra soothed the throb away and then slowly melted back into the older woman.

The hand continued it’s stroking, and she said mildly, “Shuu- _chan_ was looking into that - man. She volunteered for it. What could she have possibly have found that the village wouldn’t want her to bring it to light?”

“Honestly, _kaa-chan?_ I can think of _several_ things off the top of my head,” Hachimitsu snarled lowly, eyes narrowing, and the familiar rage was sparking - “The first being that Orochimaru _hadn’t_ been going against the village in his experiments but became the _scapegoat_ when it was brought to light - would explain why Sarutobi- _sama_ just let him go.”

“I suppose,” Masuyo sighed, eyes flashing with the old pain of _that_ particular - she couldn’t even call it a betrayal anymore. She bent down and wrapped her arms around her daughter, rubbing their cheeks together to scent her. “I’ll leave this to you, but let me know _when_ I can help, Hachi. We’re here for you and Shuu- _chan -_ _all_ of us.”

She bopped her daughter on the head lightly as she pulled away, and added pointedly, “ _And_ you do _not_ need to be giving yourself any more stress than what you already _have.”_

Hachimitsu made an offended ‘mrrp’ noise and then flushed when she realized just what exactly her mother was referring to. “How could you have figured that out with a chakra scan for _seals, kaa-chan?”_ she sputtered. “I’m not even two months along!”

Masuyo raised a pointed eyebrow and said dryly, “And I’ve already _had_ four kittens - I know what to look for and noticed something was odd about your chakra.” She bopped her daughter on the nose lightly, making the brunette go cross eyed as she pouted, and continued more lightly, “That, and since you weren’t here playing games with the rest of us that day, I know you were with Shisui- _kun,_ and honestly, if I hadn’t already gotten my tubes tied and can’t _get_ pregnant anymore, you would not be alone.”

Hachimitsu’s face twisted and she grumbled, “I think I _will_ go to Kumogakure and hit Nibi- _sama_ over the head if I’m the _only_ one that comes out pregnant from that day.”

Masuyo let out a laugh, and gave the brunette a rough scratch before straightening back up, “It would be your luck if you did end up the only one with a new kitten.” Hachimitsu pouted at her mother, who simply smiled at her fondly. “If you think it’s important to know what Shuu- _chan_ was looking into, look for it - otherwise? I suggest you leave it be and focus on other things,” she advised softly. “And if it truly is important, let us _know.”_

“Will do,” Hachimitsu agreed softly, watching her mother leave and aching for how much Shuukaku’s missing presence _echoed_ through the clan. She forced those thoughts away and focused on her twin’s room again.

Shuukaku _always_ kept copies of her work - so there should be some kind of copy here of what she had been looking into. From what Hachimitsu could remember of what her sister had been digging into, she had been officially looking into _where_ Orochimaru had gotten all of his test subjects.

Unofficially, Shuukaku had been looking into far more about the entire incident than what the mission parameters had instructed.

It had been for both herself _and_ the Clan.

Orochimaru had been a friend to the Oden Clan - specifically to Hikaru, the clan head’s husband, and _her_ grandfather.

The betrayal had hit Hikaru- _jiji_ the hardest, and Shuukaku the second hardest. However, it had been the last straw _jiji_ had had about everything that he had withdrawn so far into himself, it was a wonder sometimes that the Clan ever saw him anymore. _Kami-sama_ knew Shuukaku had tried to help _jiji,_ but - well, her twin had been hurting almost just as much.

Orochimaru had been a close teacher to her twin - had been the one that taught Shuukaku her flexibility and similar skill sets - and the redhead had _adored_ him - looked up to him _so much -_

Hachimitsu took a shaky breath and tried to push through the pain that wasn’t just her own anymore. There was a deep rumble from the back of her mind, and she focused on her task once more. The white snakeskin had triggered something - not in her but in her twin - something linked to Orochimaru.

And if Shuukaku had done what Hachimitsu _thinks_ she did, then the information was _important._

Hachimitsu took in another deep breath and tried to think.

What else had Shuukaku linked with Orochimaru?

She let her eyes wander around the room - (scents so stale it was painful - ink splattered on parts of the walls - paper and scrolls tossed haphazardly across the low table, but Shuukaku would tell her that it was _‘organized chaos, Hachi! I know where everything is!’_ \- the bed was still a rumpled mess and faintly musty - gear was stacked neatly in a corner - a stray cat eared beanie was hanging from a hook - the closet door was crack -)

Hachimitsu blinked. Shuukaku had … stopped wearing _kimono_ after Orochimaru - had begun sticking to her uniforms more and more as the days had passed - barely even wore _yukata_ \- the assassin stood and made for the closet, pulling the door open. It was stuffed with clothes - a painful reminder that Shuukaku wasn’t just on a mission and had been chased out with what amounted to the clothes on her back -

Stacked and folded in a neat pile, half hidden by the hanging items and a couple of spare packs, were _kimono._ With gentle hands, Hachimitsu shifted things around and lifted the pile - scratched into the floor of the closet was an innocuous, jagged line - vaguely resembling the shape of a snake if one squinted and tilted their head.

Hachimitsu set down the pile of _kimono_ to the side and cautiously reached out for the line. She let a spark of chakra light her fingers as she traced the line - and, when nothing happened, cut her thumb and let her blood drip _into_ the line. The blood pooled and filled the line, beginning to emit a pale glow and then the line seemed to wiggle and then slither and coil into a tight spiral and -

There was a ‘pop’ and a black bound notebook with the Clan symbol emblazoned on the front in white appeared in its place.

Hachimitsu couldn’t help but stare - unbelieving for a second - except then _not_ because her twin was the one that hid and gathered information - could look into a person’s eyes and glean secrets that even the person didn’t know - had decimated whole squads during the war with words and shadows -

She picked up the journal and opened it to the first page - and let out an aggravated noise.

The page was covered in a mix of black and red ink - _kanji,_ some _hiragana_ , and _seals_ all swirling together on the page in a mixed jumble of words that seemed only like idle ramblings, notes, and random observations. She should have expected it and _yet -_

“Damn it, Shuu- _chan,”_ Hachimitsu groaned. It wasn’t even her twin’s _usual_ code, which meant Hachimitsu would have to figure _this_ one out!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am soooooo sorry this took forever to post ;^;  
> i had the majority of it written up and then Shuu-chan decided to nope out of sight for a good long while  
> and then college happened for me and stress for my sister and y eah  
> it might be awhile before the next chapter gets written because Hachi completely ditched my sister, and between trying to finish up my degree and preparing to move in the summer and work problems for my sister - well .... we've been super stressed out OTL  
> but i hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one! we've got a lot to cover and tie up before the end sooooo ahahhahaha....


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